The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod?
The early fossil record of insects is scarce, with only few finds in the Devonian. All these finds appear problematic and controversial, partly due to incomplete preservation and challenging interpretation of many structures. We provide details of one of these important forms, Rhyniognatha hirsti fr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2017-05-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/3402.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797418346741760000 |
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| author | Carolin Haug Joachim T. Haug |
| author_facet | Carolin Haug Joachim T. Haug |
| author_sort | Carolin Haug |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The early fossil record of insects is scarce, with only few finds in the Devonian. All these finds appear problematic and controversial, partly due to incomplete preservation and challenging interpretation of many structures. We provide details of one of these important forms, Rhyniognatha hirsti from the famous Rhynie Chert Lagerstätte with up-to-date 3D imaging techniques. The fossil has been interpreted as the remains of one of the earliest flying insects. The specimen mainly preserves the remains of the head. The structures of the mandibles have been used as a main argument for an interpretation as an insect, but these are in fact less easy to interpret. New observed structures include the remains of a head capsule and an additional pair of mouth parts. Structures formerly suggested to represent remains of the head capsule or apodemes are more likely to be representing glands of ectodermal origin. The newly observed structures do not support an interpretation as an insect. Instead they make the interpretation as a myriapod more likely, possibly as a centipede. Centipede remains from the Rhynie Chert are known from scutigeromorphs. We therefore point out that R. hirsti could be interpreted as an early centipede. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:31:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2ba94fd196e41c1ba5b32c18ee06717 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:31:29Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2ba94fd196e41c1ba5b32c18ee067172023-12-03T11:05:09ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592017-05-015e340210.7717/peerj.3402The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod?Carolin Haug0Joachim T. Haug1Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyDepartment of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyThe early fossil record of insects is scarce, with only few finds in the Devonian. All these finds appear problematic and controversial, partly due to incomplete preservation and challenging interpretation of many structures. We provide details of one of these important forms, Rhyniognatha hirsti from the famous Rhynie Chert Lagerstätte with up-to-date 3D imaging techniques. The fossil has been interpreted as the remains of one of the earliest flying insects. The specimen mainly preserves the remains of the head. The structures of the mandibles have been used as a main argument for an interpretation as an insect, but these are in fact less easy to interpret. New observed structures include the remains of a head capsule and an additional pair of mouth parts. Structures formerly suggested to represent remains of the head capsule or apodemes are more likely to be representing glands of ectodermal origin. The newly observed structures do not support an interpretation as an insect. Instead they make the interpretation as a myriapod more likely, possibly as a centipede. Centipede remains from the Rhynie Chert are known from scutigeromorphs. We therefore point out that R. hirsti could be interpreted as an early centipede.https://peerj.com/articles/3402.pdfChilopodaRhyniognatha hirstiRhynie chertCrussolumDevonian insect |
| spellingShingle | Carolin Haug Joachim T. Haug The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? PeerJ Chilopoda Rhyniognatha hirsti Rhynie chert Crussolum Devonian insect |
| title | The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? |
| title_full | The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? |
| title_fullStr | The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? |
| title_short | The presumed oldest flying insect: more likely a myriapod? |
| title_sort | presumed oldest flying insect more likely a myriapod |
| topic | Chilopoda Rhyniognatha hirsti Rhynie chert Crussolum Devonian insect |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/3402.pdf |
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