| Autor: |
Xu C; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.; Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena 07743, Germany., Chen J; Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China., Muijres FT; Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 WD, Netherlands., Yu Y; Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China., Jarzembowski EA; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.; Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK., Zhang H; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China., Wang B; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China. |
| Abstrakt: |
Insects have evolved diverse ecological flight behaviors and adaptations that played a key role in their large-scale evolutionary patterns. However, the evolution of their flight performance is poorly understood because reconstructing flight abilities of extinct insects is highly challenging. Here, we propose an integrated approach to reveal the evolution of flight performance of Palaeontinidae (giant cicadas), a Mesozoic arboreal insect clade with large bodies and wings. Our analyses unveil a faunal turnover from early to late Palaeontinidae during the latest Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous, accompanied by a morphological adaptive shift and remarkable improvement in flight abilities including increased flight speed and enhanced maneuverability. The adaptive aerodynamic evolution of Palaeontinidae may have been stimulated by the rise of early birds, supporting the hypothesis of an aerial evolutionary arms race (Air Race) between Palaeontinidae and birds. Our results provide a potential example of predator-induced morphological and behavioral macroevolution and contribute to our understanding of how powered flight has shaped animal evolution. |
