Sinomeganeura
Encyclopedia
Sinomeganeura is an extinct genus
of griffenfly in the family Meganeuridae and containing a single
species Sinomeganeura huangheensis. The species is known only from Late Carboniferous, Namurian stage
, Tupo Formation near the village of Xiaheyan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China
.
, specimen number "CNU-NX200". It is a single, mostly complete fore-wing
, preserved as a compression fossil
in fine grained sedimentary rock. The fossil specimen is from exposures of the Tupo Formation in the Qilianshan Mountains. Insect fossils from this formation, referred to as part of the "Qilianshan biota", are the first Namurian insects found in the far east and are the oldest insects known from China. The type specimen is currently preserved in the Key Lab of Insect Evolution & Environmental Changes collections housed in the Capital Normal University
, located in Beijing
, China
. Sinomeganeura was first studied by Dong Ren of Capital Normal University, André Nel of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
in Paris, France and Jakub Prokop of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Their 2008 type description of the genus and species was published in the journal Insect Systematic Evolution. The generic
name was coined by Prokop, Nel, and Ren from a combination of the Latin
sino meaning China and the name of the related genus Meganeura
. The etymology
of the specific epithet
huangheensis is a reference to the Huanghe River which flows next to the type locality outcrop.
Sinomeganeura huangheensis is the third genus of Meganeuridae to be described from Namurian after Namurotypus
described in 1989 and Shenzhousia described in 2006.
and shows no indications of any color pattering
that may have been present in life. The preserved segment is 48.6 millimetres (1.9 in) giving an estimated full length for the wing of approximately 70 millimetres (2.8 in). An adult of the species would have had a full wingspan of around 150 millimetres (5.9 in). The overall size is considered small compared to other members of the subfamily such as Meganeura
and Meganeuropsis, both with wings exceeding 250 millimetres (9.8 in) in length, and wingspans over 700 millimetres (27.6 in). Despite the size difference, Sinomeganeura huangheensis was placed in Meganeurinae based on the presence of fused CuP and CuA veins in the fore-wing. S. huangheensis can be separated from other genera in the subfamily by various aspects of the fine vein structuring in the wing.
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 griffenfly in the family Meganeuridae and 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 Sinomeganeura huangheensis. The species is known only from Late Carboniferous, Namurian stage
Namurian
The Namurian is a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe with an age between roughly 326 and 313 Ma . It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system or period and the regional Silesian series. The Namurian is named for the Belgian city and province of Namur where strata of this age...
, Tupo Formation near the village of Xiaheyan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
History and classification
Sinomeganeura huangheensis 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 number "CNU-NX200". It is a single, mostly complete fore-wing
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
Compression fossil
A compression fossil is a fossil preserved in sedimentary rock that has undergone physical compression. While it is uncommon to find animals preserved as good compression fossils, it is very common to find plants preserved this way...
in fine grained sedimentary rock. The fossil specimen is from exposures of the Tupo Formation in the Qilianshan Mountains. Insect fossils from this formation, referred to as part of the "Qilianshan biota", are the first Namurian insects found in the far east and are the oldest insects known from China. The type specimen is currently preserved in the Key Lab of Insect Evolution & Environmental Changes collections housed in the Capital Normal University
Capital Normal University
Capital Normal University is a university in Beijing, China. It is covered by Project 211, a policy to renew and modernize educational facilities in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
, located in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Sinomeganeura was first studied by Dong Ren of Capital Normal University, André Nel of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
in Paris, France and Jakub Prokop of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Their 2008 type description of the genus and species was published in the journal Insect Systematic Evolution. 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 Prokop, Nel, and Ren from a combination of 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...
sino meaning China and the name of the related genus Meganeura
Meganeura
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period approximately 300 million years ago, which resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies. With wingspans of more than 75 cm , M. monyi is one of the largest known flying insect species; the Permian Meganeuropsis...
. The etymology
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...
of 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...
huangheensis is a reference to the Huanghe River which flows next to the type locality outcrop.
Sinomeganeura huangheensis is the third genus of Meganeuridae to be described from Namurian after Namurotypus
Namurotypus
Namurotypus is an extinct genus of griffenfly. It inhabited the large swamps of the Carboniferous Period....
described in 1989 and Shenzhousia described in 2006.
Description
The holotype fore-wing is well preserved and mostly complete, though it is missing only the wing apexInsect 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...
and shows no indications of any color pattering
Animal 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....
that may have been present in life. The preserved segment is 48.6 millimetres (1.9 in) giving an estimated full length for the wing of approximately 70 millimetres (2.8 in). An adult of the species would have had a full wingspan of around 150 millimetres (5.9 in). The overall size is considered small compared to other members of the subfamily such as Meganeura
Meganeura
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period approximately 300 million years ago, which resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies. With wingspans of more than 75 cm , M. monyi is one of the largest known flying insect species; the Permian Meganeuropsis...
and Meganeuropsis, both with wings exceeding 250 millimetres (9.8 in) in length, and wingspans over 700 millimetres (27.6 in). Despite the size difference, Sinomeganeura huangheensis was placed in Meganeurinae based on the presence of fused CuP and CuA veins in the fore-wing. S. huangheensis can be separated from other genera in the subfamily by various aspects of the fine vein structuring in the wing.