A new interpretation of the oldest fossil bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Title Variants

Alternative: Oldest fossil bee

Related Titles

Series: American Museum novitates, no. 3296

By

Engel, Michael S.

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

New York, NY American Museum of Natural History c2000

Notes

Title from caption.

"April 25, 2000."

The oldest fossil bee, "Trigona" prisca (Apidae: Meliponini), in Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) amber from New Jersey, is redescribed and figured. Differences between T. prisca and extant Trigona are noted and the fossil is transferred into a new genus, Cretotrigona. An exploratory cladistic analysis of the Meliponini is undertaken and Cretotrigona supported as sister to the African genus Dactylurina. Affinities between Cretotrigona and recent genera are discussed as are implications of the presence of this derived stingless bee group at the end of the Mesozoic.

Subjects

Amber fossils , Bees, Fossil , Cretaceous , Cretotrigona prisca , Insects, Fossil , Kinkora (Burlington County) , New Jersey , Paleontology , Trigona prisca

Call Number

QL1 .A436 no.3296 2000

Language

English

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2000)3296<0001:ANIOTO>2.0.CO;2
OCLC: 43986332