Pseudopulex
Pseudopulex | |
---|---|
Pseudopulex wangi fossils | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Siphonaptera |
Family: | †Pseudopulicidae |
Genus: | †Pseudopulex Gao, Shih, and Ren, 2012 |
Species | |
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Pseudopulex is an extinct genus of primitive fleas that lived between the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods in what is now modern-day China. The Latin root for the name Pseudopulex roughly translates to "false fleas".[1]
Taxonomy
There are currently four identified species in this genus that have been discovered through fossil remains: Pseudopulex jurassicus, Pseudopulex magnus, Pseudopulex wangi, and Pseudopulex tanlan. The majority of current research focuses on P. jurassicus and P. magnus.[2][3]
Fossils of P. jurassicus date back to the middle Jurassic age of the
Description
Paleobiology
Despite Pseudopulex having some similar characteristics to modern fleas, major differences in body morphology suggest differences in hosts compared to extant fleas.[7] They possessed serrated stylets, which were likely used for feeding on blood through thick layers of skin, and are estimated to have been about fifty times larger than the dog flea.[8] They may have later adapted to parasitizing smaller birds and mammals, altering their morphology to more closely resemble modern-day fleas.[7]
References
- ^ a b Leung, Tommy (2015-08-29). "Parasite of the Day: Pseudopulex jurassicus". Parasite of the Day. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
- ^ PMID 25158612.
- ^ PMID 23810530.
- ^ a b c d May 2012, Jeanna Bryner 02 (2 May 2012). "Monster 'Fleas' Put the Bite on Dinosaurs". livescience.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ PMID 22445298.
- ^ ISSN 1861-9541.
- ^ a b "Jurassic pain: Giant "flea-like" insects plagued dinosaurs". Life at OSU. 2012-05-01. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
- ^ May 2012, Jeanna Bryner 02 (2 May 2012). "Dinosaur Fleas! Photos of Paleo Pests". livescience.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Data related to Pseudopulex at Wikispecies