First record of insect-plant interaction in Late Cretaceous fossils from Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands Archipelago), Antarctica

Abstract Despite the enormous paleobotanical record on different islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, the evidence of insect activity associated with fossilized plants is scarce. Here we report the first evidence of insect-plant interaction from Cretaceous deposits, more precisely from a new locality...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Main Authors: EDILSON B. DOS SANTOS FILHO, ARTHUR S. BRUM, GEOVANE A. DE SOUZA, RODRIGO G. FIGUEIREDO, CRISTIAN D. USMA, JOÃO HENRIQUE Z. RICETTI, CRISTINE TREVISAN, MARCELO LEPPE, JULIANA M. SAYÃO, FLAVIANA J. LIMA, GUSTAVO R. OLIVEIRA, ALEXANDER W.A. KELLNER
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2023
Subjects:
Paleoecology
Nelson Island
insect-plant interaction
Cretaceous
Antarctica
Science
Q
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
West Antarctica
South Shetland Islands
Rip Point
Rip
Antarc*
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202320231268
https://doaj.org/article/eea513878d384a72b8e29b5972a3da33
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Summary:Abstract Despite the enormous paleobotanical record on different islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, the evidence of insect activity associated with fossilized plants is scarce. Here we report the first evidence of insect-plant interaction from Cretaceous deposits, more precisely from a new locality at the Rip Point area, Nelson Island (Antarctic Peninsula). The macrofossil assemblage includes isolated Nothofagus sp. leaf impressions, a common component of the Antarctic paleoflora. Two hundred leaves were examined, of which 15 showed evidence of insect activity, displaying variations in size, shape, and preservation. Two types of interaction damage, galls and mines, were identified. A single specimen retained a circular scar recognized as galling scar, while meandering tracks were considered mines. These traces of herbivore insect activity, correspond to the oldest known record of this type of interaction of West Antarctica and the oldest record of insect-plant interaction in Nothofagus sp. reported so far.

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