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。迄今为止，地理重建的基础是地质和地貌分析，脊椎动物和植物化石的检查以及现存脊椎动物、植物、淡水蟹类和腹足类的系统发育分析。在重建中，昆虫只起了很小的作用，并没有真正考虑到。幸运的是，最近在印度西部瓦斯坦附近勘探的唯一一个琥珀存款，产生了异常丰富的昆虫内含物，显示出极大的多样性，已经发现和识别了1,000多种昆虫。琥珀的年代为早始新世（53.7 Ma），将其置于第二始新世热极大期（ETM 2），这被认为是一个重要的短暂气候事件。这一估计的年龄测定也与板块构造导致的印度次大陆与亚洲碰撞的假设时间相吻合。琥珀产于广泛的龙脑香科森林，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。这里请求的项目的主要重点将是印度琥珀中保存的丰富的琥珀动物群，迄今为止约有500个琥珀包裹体，以及对其地理和古生态意义的分析。 由于其适应特定的栖息地以及大多数幼虫的水生生活方式，果蝇特别适合进行地理学和古生态学分析。在与现有的化石和现存生物的数据的综合，预期的结果将显着有助于重建的历史地球动力学和印度地理。

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.