Species in the beetle family Histeridae exhibit numerous defensive adaptations, from a generally compact and spheroid body shape to retractable tarsi, legs, heads, and antennae. Modes of antennal concealment are particularly variable, underscoring the importance of protecting these essential sensory structures. Understanding the evolution of these morphological features has been hindered by a weak understanding of the family’s basal phylogeny, and corresponding patterns of niche-use and morphological evolution. Cretaceous amber fossils have been proliferating, filling in important morphological gaps right around the time of the family’s explosive radiation. Here we describe 10 new species from Cretaceous Burmese ambers, six of them representing new genera: Palaeabraeus glabrus gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Abraeinae); Pseudacritus extinctus gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Abraeinae); Miculissima excavata gen. nov. et sp. nov. (unplaced to subfamily); Placatister cascus gen. nov. et sp. nov. (unplaced to subfamily); Cretomalus tibiodentatus gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Dendrophilinae: Paromalini); Prodigister tricostatus gen. nov. et sp. nov. (unplaced to subfamily); Anapleus punctulatus sp. nov. (Dendrophilinae: Anapleini); Pantostictus hirsutus sp. nov. (Abraeinae: Pantostictini); Phasmister kraliceki sp. nov. (Onthophilinae); and Phasmister planatus sp. nov. (Onthophilinae). A revised phylogenetic analysis that includes these taxa supports previous hints that inquilinous forms were prevalent and diverse during the Cretaceous. These results also support the contention that pressures in these environments to protect the critically important sensory apparatus, the antenna, were strong, driving multiple origins of two of the more protective configurations among extant taxa. Some of the new genera remain unplaced to subfamily, underscoring the gaps that still remain in the early fossil record for the family, and the continued need for more comprehensive analyses of combined data from extant taxa, along with additional extinct forms that we may assume will continue to be discovered.

中文翻译：

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大量的白垩纪化石为小丑甲虫（鞘翅目：Histeridae）触角保护的进化提供了见解


甲虫科 Histeridae 的物种表现出许多防御性适应，从通常紧凑的球形体型到可伸缩的跗节、腿、头部和触角。触角隐藏的模式特别多变，这强调了保护这些基本感觉结构的重要性。由于对该科的基础系统发育以及相应的生态位利用和形态进化模式的理解薄弱，因此阻碍了对这些形态学特征的进化。白垩纪琥珀化石一直在增殖，填补了该科爆炸性辐射前后的重要形态空白。在这里，我们描述了来自白垩纪缅甸琥珀的 10 个新物种，其中 6 个代表新属：Palaeabraeus glabrus gen. nov.et sp. nov.（Abraeinae）;Pseudacritus extinctus gen. nov.et sp. nov.（Abraeinae）;Miculissima excavata gen. nov.et sp. nov.（未放置到亚科）;Placatister cascus gen. nov.et sp. nov.（未放置到亚科）;Cretomalus tibiodentatus gen. nov.et sp. nov.（Dendrophilinae： Paromalini）;Prodigister tricostatus gen. nov.et sp. nov.（未放置到亚科）;Anapleus punctulatus sp. nov.（Dendrophilinae：Anapleini）;Pantostictus hirsutus sp. nov.（Abraeinae： Pantostictini）;Phasmister kraliceki sp. nov.（Onthophilinae）;和 Phasmister planatus sp. nov.（Onthophilinae）。包括这些分类群在内的修订系统发育分析支持先前的暗示，即 inquilinous 形式在白垩纪盛行且多样化。这些结果也支持这样一个论点，即在这些环境中保护至关重要的感觉器官（天线）的压力很强，这推动了现存分类群中两种更具保护性的配置的多个起源。 一些新属仍未归入亚科，这凸显了该科的早期化石记录中仍然存在的空白，并且继续需要对现存分类群的综合数据进行更全面的分析，以及我们可能假设将继续发现的其他灭绝形式。