2013/01/01 by Alexander G. Kirejtshuk, André Nel · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution #Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography #Fossil Insects in Amber
paper · doi:10.1163/1876312x-04402007
openalex publication_date 2013/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The paper provides an overview on fossil Coleoptera from the Lowermost Eocene Oise amber of the Paris Basin (circa 53 million years old). At present 45 beetle families have been found from this source. This fossil “fauna” has some peculiarities in comparison with other amber deposits. Some of these families are not recorded in older outcrops (Pselaphidae, Smicripidae, Coccinellidae, Ciidae). Some subfamilies and tribes of other groups have their oldest representatives recorded in Oise, i.e., Eurygeniinae (Anthicidae), Inopeplinae (Salpingidae), Trinodini (Dermestidae), Megatominae (Dermestidae), Attageninae (Dermestidae), Brontinae (Silvanidae), Synchitini (Zopheridae) and Opatrini (Tenebrionidae). The genera defined in the “Oise fauna” show various geographical links with relatives in the recent fauna. These alternative links support that the faunistic composition of the early Eocene had a weak zonal differentiation. Scirtes circumcisus sp.n., Boleopsidae fam.n., Boleopsis polinae gen. et sp.n. and Antiphloeus stramineus gen. et sp.n. are described. The synonymy of the genera Scirtes Latreille, 1796 and Eohelodites Hong, 2002 is proposed.