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Article: Attenborough's beauty: exceptional pattern preservation in a frog-legged leaf beetle from the Eocene Green River Formation, Colorado (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Sagrinae)

Papers in Palaeontology - Volume 7 Issue 1 - Cover
Publication: Papers in Palaeontology
Volume: 7
Part: 4
Publication Date: November 2021
Page(s): 2101 2112
Author(s): Frank-Thorsten Krell, and Francesco Vitali
DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1398
Addition Information

How to Cite

KRELL, F.T., VITALI, F. 2021. . Papers in Palaeontology, 7, 4, 2101-2112. DOI: /doi/10.1002/spp2.1398

Author Information

  • Frank-Thorsten Krell - Department of Zoology Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. Denver CO 80205 USA
  • Francesco Vitali - Nationalmusée fir Naturgeschicht rue Münster 25 L-2160 Luxembourg Luxembourg

Publication History

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    Abstract

    A new fossil leaf beetle species, Pulchritudo attenboroughi (Chrysomelidae, Sagrinae), is described from the Eocene Green River Formation in Colorado and is the second known fossil representative of this subfamily from North America. The fossil stands out by its remarkable preservation of elytral patterns. Such sharp and high-contrast preservation of exoskeletal colouration is extremely rare in the fossil record of beetles and unique in its definition and fidelity. Sagrinae currently do not occur in North America, but two extant species are present in tropical and subtropical South America, one of which is similar in several aspects to the new fossil. Many extant Sagrinae live in a warm, humid climate similar to that suggested for the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum of the Green River Formation.

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