A fossil Halobates from the Mediterranean and the origin of sea skaters (Hemiptera, Gerridae) |
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Authors: | N. MLLER ANDERSEN ANTONIO FARMA ALESSANDRO MINELLI GIULIANO PICCOLI |
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Affiliation: | Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;Via Confine 69/4,1–31044 Montebelluna (Treviso), Italy;Universitàdegli Studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Trieste 75, 1–35121 Padova, Italy;Universitàdegli Studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Geologia, Paleontologia e Geofisica, Via Giotto 1,1–35137 Padova, Italy |
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Abstract: | Five species of sea skaters, genus Halobates Eschscholtz, are the only insects to have successfully colonized the open ocean. In addition, 38 species are found in sheltered coastal waters throughout tropical Indo-Pacific. The taxonomy of the genus is relatively well known, and the phylogeneuc relationships between extant species have recently been analysed (using cladistic methods). In the present paper, we describe the first fossil species of sea skaters, Halobates ruffoi sp. no v. from the Eocene deposit 'Pesciara di Bolca', in the province of Verona, northeastern Italy (geological age about 45 Myr). The significance of this fossil in setting the time scale for the reconstructed phylogeny and anagenesis of adaptive features of sea skaters, and in understanding the evolution and historical zoogeography of these marine insects is discussed. |
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Keywords: | marine insects Eocene Pesciara di Bolca palaeoecology |
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