Early Evolution of Specialized Termitophily in Cretaceous Rove Beetles
Early Evolution of Specialized Termitophily in Cretaceous Rove Beetles
复制标题
白垩纪罗夫甲虫特化性食蚁兽的早期进化
DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.009
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发表时间：
2017-04-24
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Engel, Michael S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cai, Chenyang;Huang, Diying;Engel, Michael S.
白蚁是生活在白蚁巢中的共生体，包括广泛的形态和行为特化的生物。复杂的适应机制使这些动物能够融入社会，并利用其受控的物理条件和丰富的资源，以及在白蚁巢内获得保护。由于缺乏化石白蚁，了解白蚁的早期进化是具有挑战性的，所有已知的可靠记录都发生在中新世（大约1900万年前[mya]）[1-6]，而一种模棱两可的白蚁属于白垩纪中期的大部分自由生活的Mesoporini [7]。在这里，我们报告最古老的，形态专业化，专性白蚁从白垩纪中期缅甸琥珀（99百万年）。缅甸隐翅虫Cretotrichopsenius burmiticus gen. et sp. nov.属于毛翅虫族Trichopseniini，一组独特的白蚁栖性粉虱类（aleocharine rove beetles），所有这些甲虫都具有特化的肿胀或马蹄蟹形的身体平面。Cretotrichopsenius展示了许多现代白蚁的典型的马蹄蟹形的保护性身体形状，具有隐藏的头部和触角以及强大的向后指向的腹部刚毛。Cretotrichopsenius代表最早的确定白蚁，揭示在白蚁社会的早期进化的主机协会。化石揭示了古代白蚁社会很快被甲虫和多个独立的社会寄生虫谱系入侵。
Termitophiles, symbionts that live in termite nests, include a wide range of morphologically and behaviorally specialized organisms. Complex adaptive mechanisms permit these animals to integrate into societies and to exploit their controlled physical conditions and plentiful resources, as well as to garner protection inside termite nests. An understanding of the early evolution of termitophily is challenging owing to a scarcity of fossil termitophiles, with all known reliable records occurring from the Miocene (approximately 19 million years ago [mya]) [1-6], and an equivocal termitophile belonging to the largely free-living Mesoporini from the mid-Cretaceous [7]. Here we report the oldest, morphologically specialized, and obligate termitophiles from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (99 mya). Cretotrichopsenius burmiticus gen. et sp. nov. belongs to Trichopseniini, a group of distinctive termitophilous aleocharine rove beetles, all of which possess specialized swollen or horseshoe-crab-shaped body plans. Cretotrichopsenius display the protective horseshoe-crab-shaped body form typical of many modern termitophiles, with concealed head and antennae and strong posteriorly directed abdominal setae. Cretotrichopsenius represent the earliest definitive termitophiles, shedding light on host associations in the early evolution of termite societies. The fossil reveals that ancient termite societies were quickly invaded by beetles and by multiple independent lineages of social parasites over the subsequent eons.