Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 98. (Budapest 2006)

Makranczy, Gy.: Systematics and phylogenetic relationships of the genera in the Carpelimus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

Paleontology The oldest known staphylinid was discovered in the United States, on the Virginia - North Carolina border (VMNH 734), dated Late Triassic, but not named (Fig. 1 in FRASER et al. 1996). As with most compression fossils, it is impossible to examine the critical characters in order to place the taxon among subfamilies or tribes. The earliest described (named) staphylinid taxon is Articula infernal RYVKTN, 1985; an excellent photograph of this species is on p. 177 (Fig. 229) of PONOMARENKO (2002). This species was placed in Olisthaerinae (now believed to be close to or included in the Tachyporinae). The age of this fossil is Early to Middle Jurassic; it was found in Novospasskoye (Siberia, eastern Transbaikalia). The oldest fossils of Oxytelinae were described from the Jurassic of Karatau. Karatau (a group of localities, the most famous being Aulie [=Mihailovka]) is in Kazakhstan, dated Late Jurassic, approx. 155 Mya. Mesoxytelus parvus^ TlKHOMIROVA, 1968 and M. mandibularis^ TlKHOMIROVA, 1968 possess features characteristic of either Thinobiini (general shape of forebody, but especially the strongly rounded elytral apex, reminiscent of Thinobius and Bledius) and three longitudinal ridges on the pronotum, characteristic of most, but not all, Oxytelus and Anotylus. This makes it probable that these species are closely related to the most recent common ancestor of these two lineages. These lineages themselves are obviously quite ancient compared to the known age of other staphylinid groups. Well-preserved fossils that actually allow placement into tribes (or even genera) only exist for Lesteva (Omaliinae, in tribe Anthophagini) and Tachinus (Tachyporinae, in tribe Tachyporini). Two other interesting oxyteline fossils were described by RYVKIN (1990) from Russia; they are Turgaphloeus pubescens~\ RYVKIN from Turg (orTurga, Kl 1), Lower Cretaceous, Lower Neocomian (Turginskaya Formation) (approx. 145 Mya) and Morda moraî RYVKIN from Daia (or Daya, J33), Upper Jurassic (Glushkovskaya Formation) (approx. 150 Mya). These taxa are similar to species presently known in the genera Carpelimus and Thinodromus. Two species of Megalymma\ TlKHOMIROVA, 1980 from the Manlay Formation (Lower Cretaceous, approx. 120 Mya), are listed as belonging in the subfamily by HERMAN (2001). These were assigned to Oxytelinae in the original author's sense, where the subfamily also included the Omaliini. The description suggests that these species are more related to omaliines, therefore they should be removed from Oxytelinae. Apart from the fossil record, another good argument for the age of the major lineages in Oxytelinae is that members of the more recently derived lineages are found in New Zealand, although with restricted specific and generic diversity compared to oxytelines on the continents. According to the current hypothesis (LAIRD & BRADSHAW 2004), New Zealand separated from Gondwana in the midCretaceous (approx. 100 Mya), and was not reconnected to any major landmass