Protognathinus is an extinct genus of stag beetle from the Eocene of Europe, known from the Messel Pit in Germany.[1] This genus is known from the single species P. spielbergi.
| Protognathinus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lucanidae |
| Genus: | †Protognathinus Chalumeau et al. 2001 |
| Species: | †P. spielbergi
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| Binomial name | |
| †Protognathinus spielbergi Chalumeau et al. 2001
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Etymology edit
The specific name spielbergi refers to American film director Steven Spielberg, whose film Jurassic Park the authors considered to have contributed to the revival of interest in the earth's ancient past.[1]
Description edit
At 55 mm (2.2 inches) in total length, Protognathinus is one of the largest known fossil beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It is comparable to other large fossil beetles such as Cheirotonus otai and Oryctoantiquus borealis.[2] Like other beetle fossils known from the Messel Pit, Protognathinus fossils retain the color of the exoskeleton.[1]
The details of the classification within the family are not well understood, and it is sometimes placed in Lampriminae and sometimes in Lucaninae. Morphological similarities with early Cretaceous species Litholamprima qizhihaoi, described from the Yixian Formation, have been pointed out.[3]
See also edit
- Maaradactylus spielbergi - a species of pterosaur named after Spielberg
References edit
- ^ a b c Chalumeau, F.; Brochier, B. (2001). "Une forme fossile nouvelle de Chiasognathinae: Protognathinus spielbergi(Coleoptera, Lucanidae)" (PDF). Lambillionea. 101: 593–595. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 September 2022.
- ^ Ratcliffe, Brett C.; Smith, Dena M.; Erwin, Diane (2005). "Oryctoantiquus borealis, New Genus and Species from the Eocene of Oregon, U.S.A., the World's Oldest Fossil Dynastine and Largest Fossil Scarabaeid (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 59 (1): 127–135. doi:10.1649/0010-065X(2005)059[0127:OBNGAS]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0010-065X. S2CID 18230496.
- ^ Jiang, Rixin; Cai, Chenyang; Engel, Michael S.; Li, Boyan; Song, Haitian; Chen, Xiangsheng (2022-05-01). "Litholamprima qizhihaoi sp. nov., a new stag beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, China". Cretaceous Research. 137: 105243. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105243. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 248575607.
External links edit
- "Protognathinus". Fossilworks. Gateway to the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
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