Nitula baltica sp. nov. and Cyathus dominicanus sp. nov. are described from Cenozoic Baltic and Dominican amber. These are the first fossil members of the Family Nidulariaceae and show that the basic characteristics of this group were already established some 40-50 million years ago.
Alarista succina gen. et sp. nov. (Poaceae) is described from a single floret preserved in amber of Tertiary age originating from the Dominican Republic. The new genus is characterized by 1) a narrow winged lemma awn, 2) numerous (as many as 17) lemma nerves, 3) a lengthy rachilla internode (implying...
The Myristicaceae is a member of the early diverging angiosperm order Magnoliales, however the family is poorly represented by fossil collections. We describe Virola dominicana sp. nov. (Myristicaceae), the first record of fossilized Myristicaceae flowers, from mid-Tertiary (45-15 mya) Dominican amber. The description is based on 24 male flowers in...
Parasite distributions fundamentally depend on the distributions of their hosts but may be more restricted than their hosts. Host-parasite symbioses tend to be spatially aggregated, and widely distributed host-parasite relationships are rare. Here, we combine field observations with published collection data to document the current known distribution of the nematode,...
Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) is described from a fecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber. The fossil can be distinguished from most extant species of the closely related extant genus Rhodococcus Zopf, 1891 by its spherical cocci forming substrate filaments with elementary branching,...
Two new species of cicada hatchlings in Burmese and Dominican amber are described as Novicicada burmanica n. gen., n. sp. and N. youngi n. gen., n. sp. in the new collective genus Novicicada n. gen. (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). Diagnostic characters of the new genus are an elongate, flattened body, all antennomeres...
Silica bodies in short cell epidermal leaf cells of the Early Cretaceous Programinis laminatus (Poales) in Burmese amber are characterized. The great majority are rondels and elongated quadrates aligned horizontally in relation to the leaf axis. Rondel types include circular, elliptical, oblong, long and short forms. Quadrate types include short...
Remains of parasites in vertebrates are rare from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic. Once most parasites that live in - or pass through - the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrates, fossil feces (coprolites) or even intestinal contents (enterolites) can eventually preserve their remains. Here we announce the discovery of a spiral shark...
A new genus and species of bostrichid, Discoclavata dominicana n. gen., n. sp., (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and a new genus and species of eucnemid, Lissantauga epicrana n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) are described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters of Discoclavata dominicana include an extended body, strongly hypognathous head, asparate dorsal...
A new genus and species of megaridid, Minysporops dominicanus gen. n., sp. n. (Hemiptera: Megarididae), is described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters include: Minute (under 2.00 mm), glabrous, nearly round body; declivitous flat-topped head; eyes constricted near middle, with dorsal eye shields; ocelli ovoid-elliptical; antennae 4-segmented, setose; rostrum 4- segmented;...