A Cretaceous bug with exaggerated antennae might be a double-edged sword in evolution
Bao-Jie Du,
Rui Chen,
Wen-Tao Tao,
Hong-Liang Shi,
Wen-Jun Bu,
Ye Liu,
Shuai Ma,
Meng-Ya Ni,
Fan-Li Kong,
Jin-Hua Xiao,
Da-Wei Huang
Affiliations
Bao-Jie Du
Institute of Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Rui Chen
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Wen-Tao Tao
Institute of Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Hong-Liang Shi
Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Wen-Jun Bu
Institute of Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Ye Liu
Paleo-diary Museum of Natural History, Beijing 100097, China; Fujian Paleo-diary Bioresearch Centre, Fuzhou 350001, China
Shuai Ma
Paleo-diary Museum of Natural History, Beijing 100097, China; Fujian Paleo-diary Bioresearch Centre, Fuzhou 350001, China
Meng-Ya Ni
Paleo-diary Museum of Natural History, Beijing 100097, China
Fan-Li Kong
Century Amber Museum, Shenzhen 518101, China
Jin-Hua Xiao
Institute of Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Corresponding author
Da-Wei Huang
Institute of Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Sexual selection can favor production of exaggerated features, but the high cost of such features in terms of energy consumption and enemy avoidance makes them go to extinction under the influence of natural selection. However, fossils preserved with specialized features are very rare. Here, we report a new nymph from Burmese amber, Magnusantena wuae Du & Chen gen. et sp. nov., which has exaggerated leaf-like expanded antennae. Such bizarre antennae indicate that sensitive and delicate sensory system and magnificent appearance in Hemiptera have been already established in mid-Cretaceous. Our findings may provide evidence for Darwin's view that sensory organs play an important role in sexual selection. This nymph with the leaf-like antennae may also represents a new camouflage pattern. However, the oversized antennae are costly to develop and maintain, increasing the risks from predators. Such unparalleled expanded antennae might be the key factor for the evolutionary fate of the coreid.
