Yale Junior Names New Sawfly Species From Colorado Quarry Fossil
A Yale College junior doing fieldwork in a remote Colorado quarry has described a new 50-million-year-old sawfly species named Anoplonyx rasnitsyni, phys.org reported. Leah Mock worked with international researchers to formally document the prehistoric insect from a specimen housed in the university museum’s extensive fossil collections.
The fossil was originally found by Dick King and gifted to the Yale Peabody Museum by Jim Barkley. Mock discovered the specimen among more than 15,000 Green River Formation holdings while conducting research in the museum’s Invertebrate Paleontology division, peabody.yale.edu reported. The complete insect, missing only its legs, prompted her to investigate its classification.
Microscopic Wing Details Distinguish Prehistoric Hymenopteran
Sawflies belong to the Hymenoptera order, which also includes wasps, bees, and ants. Microscopic examination revealed a tiny vertical vein in the wing scaffolding and specific antennal details that set this insect apart from known species, according to peabody.yale.edu.
The details are so minute. You have to pay attention to what’s being preserved,
Mock said, as reported by phys.org. During the Eocene Epoch, the Green River Formation developed as a series of mountain-ringed lakes, providing a depositional environment that preserved soft-bodied insects with exceptional clarity.
Mock Sent Specimen Photographs to Paris Researchers for Identification
Mock sent specimen photographs to André Nel and Mathieu Boderau at the Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité in Paris. Nel confirmed the specimen’s unique status within the fossil record, leading to a collaborative publication in the journal Mesozoic.
Writing the formal taxonomic description required mastering specialized terminology. It was almost like learning a new language,
Mock told phys.org regarding the process of differentiating the specimen from other known animals.
Mock Plans to Study Ecosystem Engineering in Graduate School
Susan Butts, director of collections and research at the Peabody, noted that Yale undergraduate students conduct research using the museum’s millions of specimens and occasionally collect new fossils in the field. Mock plans to attend graduate school to continue studying paleontology, focusing specifically on ecosystem engineering and the coevolution of Earth and life.
Beyond her latest publication, Mock has already described another new species in the Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, with additional papers currently under review.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Discovery
Where was the Anoplonyx rasnitsyni specimen originally collected?
The fossil originates from a remote quarry in western Colorado that exposes the 50-million-year-old Green River Formation.
How many Green River Formation specimens are in the Peabody Museum?
The Yale Peabody Museum houses over 15,000 specimens from the Green River Formation in its collections.
Who co-authored the description published in Mesozoic?
Mock published her findings alongside André Nel and Mathieu Boderau from the Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité in Paris, France.
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