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Issue: Vol. 5396 No. 1: 29 Dec. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-12-29
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.12
Page range: 64-73
Abstract views: 232
PDF downloaded: 19

A new genus of japygids (Diplura: Japygidae) in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
Diplura fossil Hexapoda taxonomy Burmese amber

Abstract

Diplura is a cryptic and edaphic group of hexapod animals characterized by the presence of filiform or pincer-like cerci located at the end of the abdomen. As one of the early diverging lineages of Hexapoda, diplurans play a crucial role in unraveling the origin of the hyperdiverse insects. The fossil record of diplurans, however, is exceptionally limited due to their delicate bodies and habitat requirements. Here we report the discovery of a new japygid, Cretojapyx huangi gen. et sp. nov., entombed in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (northern Myanmar). This specimen exhibits distinctive features, including the well-developed carinae on abdominal segment X and cerci, left cercus lacking a prominent tooth and denticles, and right cercus with a postmedian tooth followed by uniseriate round denticles. Our finding provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the evolutionary history of this ancient lineage and deepen our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic.

 

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