Posożyty na pterozaurach

[nazuul]

Vršanský P., Ren, D., and Shih, C. 2010. Nakridletia ord. n. -enigmatic
insect parasites support sociality and endothermy of pterosaurs. AMBA Projekty
8(1): 1-16.

ABSTRACT: Orders are gross formal ranks of insects. All ~350.000 named species
of beetles belong to the single order Coleoptera; moths, skippers and
butterflies form the order Lepidoptera. All solitary, social and parasitic
wasps, with bees and ants are housed within Hymenoptera. Altogether, insects
are placed within 42 orders (Rasnitsyn & Quicke 2002), of which 31 are living
(Klass et al. 2002). Parasitic fleas and lice (Siphonaptera, Phthiraptera),
predatory ice-crawlers and gladiators (Grylloblattodea, Mantophasmatodea) are
all wingless as well as about 5% of insect species (Whiting et al. 2003).
Parasitism and/or wingless require a general morphological reorganisation
and thus the absence of insect orders parasitising extinct sauria was
surprising. Now we designate a new insect order, Nakridletia, for excelently
preserved Strashila incredibilis Rasnitsyn, 1992 (Strashilidae), Parazila
saurica Vršanský et Ren, gen. et sp.n. and Vosila sinensis Vršanský et Ren,
gen. et sp.n. (Vosilidae) - giant pterosaur parasites from the Upper Jurassic
of Siberia (Rasnitsyn 1992) and the Middle Jurassic of China (Ren et al. 2002,
Rasnitsyn & Zhang 2004, Chen et al. 2004, Liu et al 2004, Gao & Ren 2006)
respectively. The latter also represents the oldest direct evidence for
ectoparasitism.
Pediculid lice-like adaptations, characteristic for infestation of
stenothermous, restricted to endotherm social hominoids (Ferris 1951), indicate
endothermy and perhaps also the sociality of pterosaurs.

[Utahraptor]

Z abstraktu niewiele wynika. Właśnie burzliwie dyskutujemy o tym w Moskwie (Kahless kazał mi przekazać). Ma ktoś arta? Większość forumowiczów nie dowierza.

[nazuul]

Archozaurowe pchły trafiły do Nature:
Diying Huang, Michael S. Engel, Chenyang Cai, Hao Wu & André Nel (2012) "Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China" Nature
doi:10.1038/nature10839

[Ag.Ent]

Są i kolejne pchły (Pseudopulex), które miałyby pasożytować na środkowojurajskich i wczesnokredowych pierzastych dinozaurach, pterozaurach i ssakach.

Gao et al. 2012. Mid-Mesozoic Flea-like Ectoparasites of Feathered or Haired Vertebrates. Current Biology 22: 732-735. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.03.012.

Artykuł bardziej newsowy (płatny, ale za darmo są ilustracje): Poinar jr. 2012. Palaeontology: The 165-Million-Year Itch. Current Biology 22: R278-R280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.03.014.