Reclassification of the Fossil Insect Brauckmannia groeningae
Author Information
Author(s): Sam W. Heads, Léa Leuzinger
Primary Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Hypothesis
The fossil orthopteran Brauckmannia groeningae is misclassified and should be reassigned to the family Schizodactylidae.
Conclusion
Brauckmannia groeningae is reclassified as Schizodactylus groeningae, marking the first fossil occurrence of Schizodactylidae and the only New World record of this lineage.
Supporting Evidence
- Brauckmannia groeningae is now recognized as a synonym of Schizodactylus.
- This species is the first fossil record of the Schizodactylidae family.
- The fossil confirms the presence of this family in South America before it separated from Africa.
Takeaway
Scientists found an old insect fossil that was named wrong and fixed its name to match a living group of insects, showing it lived a long time ago in Brazil.
Methodology
The study involved examining fossil specimens and comparing their morphology to extant species using microscopy and photography.
Limitations
The original holotype specimen is poorly preserved, limiting the analysis to illustrations from previous descriptions.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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