Mesochorista proavita
Encyclopedia
Mesochorista proavita is an extinct species
of scorpionfly from the Triassic period of Queensland
, Australia
.
-Australian
entomologist Robert John Tillyard
in 1916. The fossil
s were recovered from the Denmark Hill Insect Bed
of Queensland
, Australia
. The type locality
belongs to the Blackstone Formation (Ipswich Coal Measures Group) and is dated to the Carnian
age (228.0 - 216.5 million years ago) of the Triassic
period.
Specimens of Eoses triassica, sometimes considered a synonym of this species, were discovered in 1945 by the Australian entomologist Norman Tindale
from the Mt. Crosby Insect Bed of Queensland, Australia. They are also dated to the Carnian age.
).
E.F. Riek synonymized Eoses triassica with M. proavita in 1955, regarding it as a second specimen. In doing so, he identified the fossil as a mecopteran rather than a lepidoptera
n as it was originally described as. Citing morphological differences in wing venation and publishing errors, Norman B. Tindale challenged this conclusion in 1980. He maintains that the three known specimens of Eoses triassica belong to the lepidopteran family Eocoronidae
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of scorpionfly from the Triassic period of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Discovery
Specimens of Mesochorista proavita were first described by the EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
-Australian
Australian people
Australian people, or simply Australians, are the citizens of Australia. Australia is a multi-ethnic nation, and therefore the term "Australian" is not a racial identifier. Aside from the Indigenous Australian population, nearly all Australians or their ancestors immigrated within the past 230 years...
entomologist Robert John Tillyard
Robert John Tillyard
Robert John Tillyard FRS was an English–Australian entomologist and geologist. He was sometimes known as Robin....
in 1916. The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s were recovered from the Denmark Hill Insect Bed
Denmark Hill Insect Bed
The Denmark Hill Insect Bed is a Triassic fossil locality in the Denmark Hill Conservation Park of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It belongs to the Blackstone Formation dated to the Carnian age . Its coordinates are...
of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The type locality
Type locality
Type locality may refer to:* Type locality * Type locality...
belongs to the Blackstone Formation (Ipswich Coal Measures Group) and is dated to the Carnian
Carnian
The Carnian is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic series . It lasted from about 228.7 till 216.5 million years ago . The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian...
age (228.0 - 216.5 million years ago) of the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
period.
Specimens of Eoses triassica, sometimes considered a synonym of this species, were discovered in 1945 by the Australian entomologist Norman Tindale
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist and entomologist. Born in Perth, his family moved to Tokyo from 1907 to 1915, where his father worked as an accountant at the Salvation Army mission in Japan. Soon after returning to Australia, Tindale got a job at the South...
from the Mt. Crosby Insect Bed of Queensland, Australia. They are also dated to the Carnian age.
Taxonomy
M. proavita belongs to the family Permochoristidae (formerly Mesochoristidae) of the scorpionflies (order MecopteraMecoptera
Mecoptera are an order of insects with about 550 species in nine families worldwide. Mecoptera are sometimes called scorpionflies after their largest family, Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stinger of a scorpion...
).
E.F. Riek synonymized Eoses triassica with M. proavita in 1955, regarding it as a second specimen. In doing so, he identified the fossil as a mecopteran rather than a lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
n as it was originally described as. Citing morphological differences in wing venation and publishing errors, Norman B. Tindale challenged this conclusion in 1980. He maintains that the three known specimens of Eoses triassica belong to the lepidopteran family Eocoronidae
Eocoronidae
Eocoronidae is an extinct family of insects from the Carnian age of the Triassic period. It was established in 1981 by the Australian entomologist Norman Tindale. At present, it contains only one species and genus: Eocorona iani....
.