Neoephemera antiqua
Encyclopedia
Neoephemera antiqua is an extinct species
of mayfly
in the family Neoephemeridae that is known from early Eocene
, Ypresian stage, lake deposits near the small community of Republic
in Ferry County, Washington, USA.
, number "UWBM76324". It is a single, mostly complete naiad of undetermined sex, preserved as a compression fossil in fine grained shale
. The fossil specimen is from the University of Washington
site number UWBM A0307B which works sediments from the Tom thumb tuff member of the Klondike Mountain Formation
. Outcrops of the formation are found in and around Republic. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleobotanical
collections housed in the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
, part of the University of Washington
in Seattle, Washington
, USA. N. antiqua was first studied by Nina D. Sinitchenkova of the Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
, with her 1999 type description being published in the Russian text Palaeontological Journal. The specific epithet
antiqua was coined from the Latin
"antiquus", meaning old.
When the holotype of Neoephemera antiqua was first described by Sinitchenkova, The Klondike Mountain Formation as assigned a Middle Eocene age. Further refinement of the dating has resulted in the formation being given a slightly older age, placing it in the Ypresian stage of the late Early Eocene. Neoephemera antiqua is the oldest known occurrence of the family Neoephemeridae, being older than the Oligocene species Potamanthellus rubiens, described from Montana in 1977 by Standley Lewis.
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 mayfly
Mayfly
Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera . They have been placed into an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies...
in the family Neoephemeridae that is known from early Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
, Ypresian stage, lake deposits near the small community of Republic
Republic, Washington
Republic is a city in Ferry County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,073 at the 2010 census, a 12.5% increase over the 2000 Census. It is the county seat of Ferry County.-History:...
in Ferry County, Washington, USA.
History and classification
Neoephemera antiqua is known only from one fossil, the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, number "UWBM76324". It is a single, mostly complete naiad of undetermined sex, preserved as a compression fossil in fine grained shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
. The fossil specimen is from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
site number UWBM A0307B which works sediments from the Tom thumb tuff member of the Klondike Mountain Formation
Klondike Mountain Formation
The Klondike Mountain Formation is an early Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in the southern most of a string of highland subtropical/Temperate lakes in Washington state and British Columbia. The formation is best known for exceptionally well preserved plant and insect fossils...
. Outcrops of the formation are found in and around Republic. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleobotanical
Paleobotany
Paleobotany, also spelled as palaeobotany , is the branch of paleontology or paleobiology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments , and both the evolutionary history of plants, with a...
collections housed in the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture has been a Washington state museum since 1899. It is located at the University of Washington campus at the intersection of N.E. 45th Street and 17th Avenue N.E. in Seattle, Washington, USA, in the University District. It is the only major natural...
, part of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA. N. antiqua was first studied by Nina D. Sinitchenkova of the Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
, with her 1999 type description being published in the Russian text Palaeontological Journal. The specific epithet
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...
antiqua was coined from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
"antiquus", meaning old.
When the holotype of Neoephemera antiqua was first described by Sinitchenkova, The Klondike Mountain Formation as assigned a Middle Eocene age. Further refinement of the dating has resulted in the formation being given a slightly older age, placing it in the Ypresian stage of the late Early Eocene. Neoephemera antiqua is the oldest known occurrence of the family Neoephemeridae, being older than the Oligocene species Potamanthellus rubiens, described from Montana in 1977 by Standley Lewis.