Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution
Ticks are composed of 3 extant families (Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae) and 2 extinct families (Deinocrotonidae and Khimairidae). The Nuttalliellidae possess one extant species (Nuttalliella namaqua) limited to the Afrotropic region. A basal relationship to the hard and soft tick families...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2024-08-01
|
| Series: | Parasitology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000477/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832590845483679744 |
|---|---|
| author | Lidia Chitimia-Dobler Stephan Handschuh Jason A. Dunlop Ronel Pienaar Ben J. Mans Ala Tabor |
| author_facet | Lidia Chitimia-Dobler Stephan Handschuh Jason A. Dunlop Ronel Pienaar Ben J. Mans Ala Tabor |
| author_sort | Lidia Chitimia-Dobler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ticks are composed of 3 extant families (Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae) and 2 extinct families (Deinocrotonidae and Khimairidae). The Nuttalliellidae possess one extant species (Nuttalliella namaqua) limited to the Afrotropic region. A basal relationship to the hard and soft tick families and its limited distribution suggested an origin for ticks in the Afrotropics. The Deinocrotonidae has been found in Burmese amber from Myanmar and Iberian amber from Spain, suggesting a wider distribution of the lineage composed of Deinocrotonidae and Nuttalliellidae. The current study describes 8 fossils from mid-Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma) Burmese amber: 2 Deinocroton species (Deinocroton bicornis sp. nov.; Deinocroton lacrimus sp. nov.), 5 Nuttalliella species (Nuttalliella gratae sp. nov., Nuttalliella tuberculata sp. nov., Nuttalliella placaventrala sp. nov., Nuttalliella odyssea sp. nov., Nuttalliella tropicasylvae sp. nov.) and a new genus and species (Legionaris nov. gen., Legionaris robustus sp. nov.). The argument is advanced that Deinocroton do not warrant its own family, but forms part of the Nuttalliellidae comprising 3 genera, Deinocroton, Legionaris nov. gen. and Nuttalliella). Affinities of Burmese tick fossils to the Australasian region, specifically related to rifting of the Burma terrane from northern Australia ~150 million years ago, suggest that Nuttalliella had a much wider distribution than its current limited distribution. The distribution of Nuttalliella likely stretched from Africa over Antarctica and much of Australia, suggesting that extant members of this family may still be found in Australia. Considerations for the geographic origins of ticks conclude that an Afrotropic origin can as yet not be discarded. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6f3920dd97f4a319965207963e69c17 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0031-1820 1469-8161 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasitology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6f3920dd97f4a319965207963e69c172025-01-23T07:11:40ZengCambridge University PressParasitology0031-18201469-81612024-08-0115189190710.1017/S0031182024000477Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolutionLidia Chitimia-Dobler0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8544-1945Stephan Handschuh1Jason A. Dunlop2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0179-6640Ronel Pienaar3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9096-0237Ben J. Mans4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0177-0029Ala TaborDepartment of Rickettsiology and Virology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany Department of Infection and Pandemic Research, Fraunhofer Institute of Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research, Penzberg, GermanyVetCore Facility for Research / Imaging Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, AustriaMuseum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, GermanyEpidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South AfricaEpidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South AfricaTicks are composed of 3 extant families (Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae) and 2 extinct families (Deinocrotonidae and Khimairidae). The Nuttalliellidae possess one extant species (Nuttalliella namaqua) limited to the Afrotropic region. A basal relationship to the hard and soft tick families and its limited distribution suggested an origin for ticks in the Afrotropics. The Deinocrotonidae has been found in Burmese amber from Myanmar and Iberian amber from Spain, suggesting a wider distribution of the lineage composed of Deinocrotonidae and Nuttalliellidae. The current study describes 8 fossils from mid-Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma) Burmese amber: 2 Deinocroton species (Deinocroton bicornis sp. nov.; Deinocroton lacrimus sp. nov.), 5 Nuttalliella species (Nuttalliella gratae sp. nov., Nuttalliella tuberculata sp. nov., Nuttalliella placaventrala sp. nov., Nuttalliella odyssea sp. nov., Nuttalliella tropicasylvae sp. nov.) and a new genus and species (Legionaris nov. gen., Legionaris robustus sp. nov.). The argument is advanced that Deinocroton do not warrant its own family, but forms part of the Nuttalliellidae comprising 3 genera, Deinocroton, Legionaris nov. gen. and Nuttalliella). Affinities of Burmese tick fossils to the Australasian region, specifically related to rifting of the Burma terrane from northern Australia ~150 million years ago, suggest that Nuttalliella had a much wider distribution than its current limited distribution. The distribution of Nuttalliella likely stretched from Africa over Antarctica and much of Australia, suggesting that extant members of this family may still be found in Australia. Considerations for the geographic origins of ticks conclude that an Afrotropic origin can as yet not be discarded.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000477/type/journal_articlecretaceousDeinocrotonfossilLegionarisMyanmarNuttalliellaNuttalliellidae |
| spellingShingle | Lidia Chitimia-Dobler Stephan Handschuh Jason A. Dunlop Ronel Pienaar Ben J. Mans Ala Tabor Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution Parasitology cretaceous Deinocroton fossil Legionaris Myanmar Nuttalliella Nuttalliellidae |
| title | Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution |
| title_full | Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution |
| title_fullStr | Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution |
| title_short | Nuttalliellidae in Burmese amber: implications for tick evolution |
| title_sort | nuttalliellidae in burmese amber implications for tick evolution |
| topic | cretaceous Deinocroton fossil Legionaris Myanmar Nuttalliella Nuttalliellidae |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000477/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lidiachitimiadobler nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution AT stephanhandschuh nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution AT jasonadunlop nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution AT ronelpienaar nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution AT benjmans nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution AT alatabor nuttalliellidaeinburmeseamberimplicationsfortickevolution |