MESOCERATOCANTHUS FOSSILS FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF CHINA REINTERPRETED AS THE EARLIEST PASSALOIDS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEOIDEA)

Authors

  • Yan-Da Li State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
  • Erik Tihelka School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
  • Christopher J. Marshall Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State Arthropod Collection, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
  • David R. Maddison Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State Arthropod Collection, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
  • Ming Bai Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
  • Di-Ying Huang State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
  • Chen-Yang Cai State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5710/AMGH.26.04.2022.3502

Keywords:

Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae, Passalopalpidae, Passalidae, China, Yixian Formation

Abstract

The scarabaeoid beetle Mesoceratocanthus from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation was originally placed in the extant tribe Ivieolini (Hybosoridae). Our re-examination of the holotype and a new specimen demonstrates that Mesoceratocanthus does not possess the diagnostic characters of Ivieolini or Hybosoridae. Instead, it should be assigned to the passaloid lineage (Passalopalpidae + Passalidae) and appears closely related to the extinct family Passalopalpidae. The revised placement of Mesoceratocanthus further extends the earliest occurrence of the passaloid clade (~125 Ma, Barremian to early Aptian).

Additional Files

Published

2022-05-26

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 3 (2022)

Section

Articles

License

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How to Cite

MESOCERATOCANTHUS FOSSILS FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF CHINA REINTERPRETED AS THE EARLIEST PASSALOIDS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEOIDEA). (2022). Ameghiniana, 59(3), 201-209. https://doi.org/10.5710/AMGH.26.04.2022.3502