FIRST FOSSIL SOFT TICKS, ORNITHODOROS-ANTIQUUS N-SP (ACARI, ARGASIDAE) IN DOMINICAN AMBER WITH EVIDENCE OF THEIR MAMMALIAN HOST

Authors
POINAR GO
Citation
Go. Poinar, FIRST FOSSIL SOFT TICKS, ORNITHODOROS-ANTIQUUS N-SP (ACARI, ARGASIDAE) IN DOMINICAN AMBER WITH EVIDENCE OF THEIR MAMMALIAN HOST, Experientia, 51(4), 1995, pp. 384-387
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Journal title
Experientia → ACNP
ISSN journal
00144754
Volume
51
Issue
4
Year of publication
1995
Pages
384 - 387
Database
ISI
SICI code
0014-4754(1995)51:4<384:FFSTON>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
A male and female soft tick, Ornithodoros antiguus n. sp. (Acari: Arga sidae) from Dominican Republic amber are described. This represents th e first description of a fossil soft tick. The fossils share character s with members of the subgenera Pavlovskyella and Alectorobius but dif fer from extant members in a combination of characters. It is postulat ed that O. antiquus lived with its mammalian host (probably a rodent) in a cavity of the resin-bearing tree (Hymenaea protera: Fabaceae) som e 30-40 million years ago.