Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Protists I01:15

Diversity of Protists I

266
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
266
Osmoregulation in Insects01:47

Osmoregulation in Insects

16.7K
Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.
16.7K
Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

21.7K
Overview
21.7K
Diversity of Protists III01:27

Diversity of Protists III

230
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
230
Diversity of Protists II01:27

Diversity of Protists II

265
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
265
Lampbrush Chromosomes01:51

Lampbrush Chromosomes

8.2K
In 1882, Flemming observed lampbrush chromosomes (LBC) in salamander eggs. Later in 1892, Rückert observed LBCs in shark egg cells and coined the term "lampbrush chromosomes" because they looked like brushes used to clean kerosene lamps.
LBCs are made up of two pairs of conjugating homologous chromatids. Each chromatid consists of alternatively positioned regions of condensed-inactive chromatin and loosely placed-active side loops, which can be contracted and extended. The loops...
8.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

24 million years of pollination interaction between European linden flowers and bumble bees.

The New phytologist·2025
Same author

The earliest large carpenter bee (<i>Xylocopa</i>) and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae).

Palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironments·2025
Same author

Heteroptera research in Latin America and the Caribbean (Insecta, Hemiptera): status and perspectives in the 21st century.

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias·2024
Same author

Was the kateretid beetle Pelretes really a Cretaceous angiosperm pollinator?

Nature plants·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 10, 2025

Sample Preparation Method of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope for the Appendages of Woodboring Beetle
10:09

Sample Preparation Method of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope for the Appendages of Woodboring Beetle

Published on: February 3, 2020

19.1K

Bizarre morphology in extinct Eocene bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae).

Sonja Wedmann1, Petr Kment2, Luiz Alexandre Campos3

  • 1Senckenberg Forschungsstation Grube Messel, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main, 64409 Messel, Germany.

Royal Society Open Science
|December 15, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Newly discovered Eocene fossil bugs from Germany and North America show extreme spiny armor, likely for anti-predator defense. These ancient insects, possibly related to modern tropical groups, highlight convergent evolution in defense strategies.

Keywords:
Green RiverHemipteraMesselanti-predator–morphologyexaggerated morphologyinsects

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring Bradysia coprophila's Unique Biology &#8211; A Guide to Laboratory Maintenance
04:26

Author Spotlight: Exploring Bradysia coprophila's Unique Biology – A Guide to Laboratory Maintenance

Published on: April 19, 2024

1.3K
Use of Chironomidae Diptera Surface-Floating Pupal Exuviae as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol for Water Bodies
08:27

Use of Chironomidae Diptera Surface-Floating Pupal Exuviae as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol for Water Bodies

Published on: July 24, 2015

11.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 10, 2025

Sample Preparation Method of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope for the Appendages of Woodboring Beetle
10:09

Sample Preparation Method of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope for the Appendages of Woodboring Beetle

Published on: February 3, 2020

19.1K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Bradysia coprophila's Unique Biology &#8211; A Guide to Laboratory Maintenance
04:26

Author Spotlight: Exploring Bradysia coprophila's Unique Biology – A Guide to Laboratory Maintenance

Published on: April 19, 2024

1.3K
Use of Chironomidae Diptera Surface-Floating Pupal Exuviae as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol for Water Bodies
08:27

Use of Chironomidae Diptera Surface-Floating Pupal Exuviae as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol for Water Bodies

Published on: July 24, 2015

11.9K

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Entomology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Fossil insects from the Eocene epoch provide insights into ancient ecosystems.
  • Pentatomidae (stink bugs) are a diverse family with varied defensive strategies.
  • Exaggerated morphological traits in fossils can indicate unique evolutionary pressures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe new fossil pentatomid species from the Eocene.
  • To investigate the function of extreme spiny morphology in these ancient insects.
  • To determine the phylogenetic placement of these new fossil taxa.

Main Methods:

  • Morphological analysis of fossil specimens from Messel (Germany) and Green River (North America).
  • Comparative analysis with extant Pentatomidae subfamilies and tribes.
  • Phylogenetic analyses using parsimony and Bayesian algorithms.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of two new fossil species, *Eospinosus peterkulkai* and *E. greenriverensis*, exhibiting unique, exaggerated spiny pronotal and abdominal margins.
  • The extreme morphology is hypothesized to function as primary and secondary anti-predator defense, including camouflage and physical protection.
  • Phylogenetic analyses confirm the new genus belongs to Pentatomidae but could not resolve its precise relationships within the family, suggesting possible convergence with extant Triplatygini, Discocephalinae, or Cyrtocorinae.

Conclusions:

  • The described fossil pentatomids represent a new genus, *Eospinosus*, with remarkable anti-predator adaptations.
  • The exaggerated morphology likely served a crucial role in survival against small vertebrate predators during the Eocene.
  • The phylogenetic position remains uncertain, highlighting potential cases of convergent evolution in insect morphology and defense strategies.