Preservation and Taphonomy of Fossil Insects from the Earliest Eocene of DenmarkVise andre og tillknytning
2022 (engelsk)Inngår i: Biology, E-ISSN 2079-7737, Vol. 11, nr 3, artikkel-id 395
Artikkel i tidsskrift (Fagfellevurdert) Published
Abstract [en]
Marine sediments of the lowermost Eocene Stolleklint Clay and Fur Formation of north-western Denmark have yielded abundant well-preserved insects. However, despite a long history of research, in-depth information pertaining to preservational modes and taphonomic pathways of these exceptional animal fossils remains scarce. In this paper, we use a combination of scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to assess the ultrastructural and molecular composition of three insect fossils: a wasp (Hymenoptera), a damselfly (Odonata) and a pair of beetle elytra (Coleoptera). Our analyses show that all specimens are preserved as organic remnants that originate from the exoskeleton, with the elytra displaying a greater level of morphological fidelity than the other fossils. TEM analysis of the elytra revealed minute features, including a multilayered epicuticle comparable to those nanostructures that generate metallic colors in modern insects. Additionally, ToF-SIMS analyses provided spectral evidence for chemical residues of the pigment eumelanin as part of the cuticular remains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first occasion where both structural colors and chemical traces of an endogenous pigment have been documented in a single fossil specimen. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the nature of insect body fossils and additionally shed light on exceptionally preserved terrestrial insect faunas found in marine paleoenvironments. © 2022 by the authors.
sted, utgiver, år, opplag, sider
MDPI , 2022. Vol. 11, nr 3, artikkel-id 395
Emneord [en]
Cuticle, Eocene, Fur Formation, Insects, Melanin, Mo-clay, Pigment, Stolleklint Clay, Structural coloration, Ølst Formation
HSV kategori
Identifikatorer
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-58966DOI: 10.3390/biology11030395Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85126620965OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-58966DiVA, id: diva2:1648536
Merknad
Funding details: Vetenskapsrådet, VR, 2019-03731; Funding text 1: Funding: Financial support for this project was provided by a Distinguished Young Researcher Grant (Grant number 642-2014-3773; Swedish Research Council) to Johan Lindgren and a Project Grant (Grant number 2019-03731; Swedish Research Council) to Peter Sjövall.
2022-03-312022-03-312023-06-05bibliografisk kontrollert