Systematic, Palaeoecology, and Palaeobiogeography of Nematocera from the Early Eocene Indian amber

近150年来，印度的历史地球动力学和生物地理学一直是一个科学对象，导致了有争议的辩论和各种不一致的假设的建立。到目前为止，生物地理重建是基于地质和地貌分析、脊椎动物和植物化石的检查以及现存脊椎动物、植物、淡水螃蟹和腹足类动物的系统发育分析。在重建中，昆虫只扮演了一个次要的角色，并没有真正考虑到。幸运的是，最近发现的唯一一个琥珀矿床位于印度西部瓦斯坦附近，发现了异常丰富的昆虫包裹体，显示出极大的多样性，已经发现和识别的昆虫超过1000种。该琥珀的年代为早始新世（53.7 Ma），处于第二始新世热极大期（ETM2），这被认为是一个重要的短暂气候事件。由于板块构造，这个估计的年龄也与假定的印度次大陆与亚洲碰撞的时间相吻合。琥珀是在一个广阔的双龙科森林中生产的，这也是他们最古老的化石证据之一。这些温带雨林目前主要分布在东南亚。该项目的主要重点将放在印度琥珀中保存的丰富的海洋线虫动物群上，到目前为止，大约有500个海洋线虫包裹体，以及对它们的生物地理和古生态意义的分析。由于它们对特定栖息地的适应以及大多数幼虫的水生生活方式，线虫海蝇特别适合生物地理和古生态分析。在与已经存在的化石和现存生物数据的综合中，预期的结果将大大有助于重建印度的历史地球动力学和生物地理学。

The historical geodynamics and biogeography of India has been a scientific object for nearly 150 years, resulting in controversial debates and the establishment of various inconsistent hypotheses. So far the biogeographical reconstructions are based on geological and geomorphological analyses, on examinations of fossil vertebrates and plants as well as on phylogenetic analyses of extant vertebrates, plants, freshwater crabs and gastropods. In the reconstruction, the insects played only a minor role and have not really been taken into consideration. Providentially the only recently explored amber deposit located in the vicinity of Vastan, western India, produced an exceptional abundance of insect inclusions which display a great diversity with more than 1,000 insects already recovered and recognized. The amber is dated to be of Early Eocene age (53.7 Ma),placing it within the Second Eocene Thermal Maximum (ETM2) which is contemplated to be an important transient climatic event. This estimated age determination also coincides with the supposed time period of the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia, due to plate tectonics. The amber was produced in an extensive Dipterocarpaceae forest, which additionally represents one of their oldest fossil evidences. Those temperate rain forests are currently mainly distributed in Southeast Asia. The main focus of the here requested project will lie on the preserved abundant nematoceran fauna of the Indian amber with about 500 nematoceran inclusions so far as well on the analyses of their biogeographic and palaeoecological implications. The nematoceran flies are particularly qualified for biogeographical and paleoecological analyses due to their adaptation to specific habitats as well as the aquatic lifestyle of most larvae. In the synthesis with already existing data of fossil and extant organisms the expected results will significantly contribute to the reconstruction of the historical geodynamics and biogeography of India.