The oldest Gondwanan non-biting midge (Diptera, Chironomidae, Podonominae) sheds light on the historical biogeography of the clade

Podonominae, a group of non-biting midges within the Chironomidae family, serves as an important biogeographical model. For a long time, it was believed that Podonominae originated in Northern Gondwana and later spread to Laurasia. However, because the oldest known fossils of this group come from th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Baranov, Viktor, McCurry, Matthew R., Amaral, André P., Beattie, Robert, Trewick, Steven A.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/414518
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/414518
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105020784706
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Podonominae
Biogeography
Diptera
Gondwana
Jurassic
Descripción
Sumario:Podonominae, a group of non-biting midges within the Chironomidae family, serves as an important biogeographical model. For a long time, it was believed that Podonominae originated in Northern Gondwana and later spread to Laurasia. However, because the oldest known fossils of this group come from the Jurassic period in Eurasia more recent interpretations have suggested a Laurasian origin. We present the oldest record of Podonominae from Gondwana, specifically from the Tithonian age (Jurassic) in Australia. This discovery is also the oldest Chironomidae fossil found in the Southern Hemisphere and suggests that Podonominae likely originated in Gondwana. The new fossil represents a highly specialized form of Podonominae, adapted to living in the littoral zones of large lakes. It has adaptations to this environment that are unique amongst Podonominae, and similar to those found in some modern marine Chironomidae species such as Telmatogetoninae.