Dominickus
Encyclopedia
Dominickus is an extinct genus
of moth
in the butterfly-moth family Castniidae
containing a single
species Dominickus castnioides. The species is known from late Eocene, Chadronian stage
, lake deposits near the small community of Guffey
in Teller County, Colorado
, USA.
, specimen "P.22949". It is a single, mostly complete pair of fore wings
, preserved as a compression fossil in fine grained shale
. The shale
specimen is from the fossiliferous outcrops of the Florissant Formation which outcrop near Guffey 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Florissant
. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleoentomological collections housed in the Field Museum of Natural History
, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Dominickus was first studied by Norman Barnett Tindale
of Palo Alto, California
, with his 1985 type description being published in the Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. The generic
name was coined by Tindale in honor of Richard Dominick. Tindale did not provide an explanation
for the specific epithet
castnioides.
When first examined, the specimen was thought to possibly be related to an early ancestor of Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea
, due to the overall wide shape of the wings and the fork of the Cu vein being near the wing midpoint. However while Tindale was examining a series of photographs taken in Australia of live Synemon
species butterfly-moths, he noticed a strong similarity between the modern moth and the Florissant fossil. Tindale then compared the fossil to the modern Chilean species Castnia psittacus
which shows a closer match. The major difference between the fossil and modern members of Castniidae is the fossils lack of a crossvein between the R1 and R2 veins.
At the time of description, the Florissant formation was considered to be Oligocene
in age. Further refinement of the formations age using radiomatric dating of sanidine crystals
has resulted in an age of 34 million years old, which places the formation in the Eocene Chadronian stage.
with the costal area, narrow at the wing base and widening out at the midpoint a dark tone. The base of the wing was possibly light colored with the tone extending along the hind margin.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the butterfly-moth family Castniidae
Castniidae
Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with less than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly coloured hindwings. They...
containing a single
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
species Dominickus castnioides. The species is known from late Eocene, Chadronian stage
Chadronian
The Chadronian age within the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology is the North American faunal stage typically set from 38,000,000 to 33,900,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to fall within the Eocene epoch...
, lake deposits near the small community of Guffey
Guffey, Colorado
Guffey is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office located in Park County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 98.The Guffey Post Office has the ZIP Code 80820....
in Teller County, Colorado
Teller County, Colorado
Teller County is the 22nd most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 20,555 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park...
, USA.
History and classification
Dominickus castnioides 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...
, specimen "P.22949". It is a single, mostly complete pair of fore wings
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
, 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 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...
specimen is from the fossiliferous outcrops of the Florissant Formation which outcrop near Guffey 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Florissant
Florissant, Colorado
Florissant is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in Teller County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 104.Florissant, Colorado, was named after Florissant, Missouri, the hometown of the founding family...
. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleoentomological collections housed in the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Dominickus was first studied by Norman Barnett 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...
of Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, with his 1985 type description being published in the Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name was coined by Tindale in honor of Richard Dominick. Tindale did not provide an explanation
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
for 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...
castnioides.
When first examined, the specimen was thought to possibly be related to an early ancestor of Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea
Papilionoidea
The superfamily Papilionoidea contains all the butterflies except for the skippers, which are classified in superfamily Hesperioidea, and the moth-like Hedyloidea....
, due to the overall wide shape of the wings and the fork of the Cu vein being near the wing midpoint. However while Tindale was examining a series of photographs taken in Australia of live Synemon
Synemon
Synemon is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Doubleday in 1846. The genus contains 24 described and 20 undescribed species.-Species:* Synemon sophia * Synemon parthenoides R...
species butterfly-moths, he noticed a strong similarity between the modern moth and the Florissant fossil. Tindale then compared the fossil to the modern Chilean species Castnia psittacus
Castnia
Castnia is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Fabricius in 1807.-Species:* Castnia estherae Miller, 1976* Castnia eudesmia Gray, 1838* Castnia fernandezi González, 1992* Castnia invaria Walker, 1854...
which shows a closer match. The major difference between the fossil and modern members of Castniidae is the fossils lack of a crossvein between the R1 and R2 veins.
At the time of description, the Florissant formation was considered to be Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
in age. Further refinement of the formations age using radiomatric dating of sanidine crystals
Sanidine
Sanidine is the high temperature form of potassium feldspar 4O8. Sanidine most typically occurs in felsic volcanic rocks such as obsidian, rhyolite and trachyte. Sanidine crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system. Orthoclase is a monoclinic polymorph stable at lower temperatures...
has resulted in an age of 34 million years old, which places the formation in the Eocene Chadronian stage.
Description
The holotype forewings of Dominickus castnioides are about 16.4 millimetre (0.645669291338583 in) long and about 9.4 millimetre (0.37007874015748 in) wide. The wings have an overall broadly triangular shape with a rounded tip. The vein structure is very similar to that of modern Castniidae members, having an R-vein which supports the costal third of the wing. Due to the nature of the matrix in which the fossil is preserved, the wing scales of the specimen are not distinguishable or are absent. The outline of wing margin furthest from the wing base is possibly a fringe like that found in the modern members of the family. Photographs of the specimen give possible indications of the color patteringAnimal colouration
Animal coloration is the general appearance of an animal resulting from the reflection or emission of light from its surfaces. The mechanisms for colour production in animals include pigments, chromatophores, structural coloration, and bioluminescence....
with the costal area, narrow at the wing base and widening out at the midpoint a dark tone. The base of the wing was possibly light colored with the tone extending along the hind margin.