Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Acariform mites play a crucial role as primary soil decomposers, impacting the carbon cycle. However, the timing of their diversification is uncertain, with estimated dates ranging from the Precambrian (no land plants) to the Carboniferous (diverse terrestrial ecosystems). One factor affecting these time estimates is an uncertain phylogenetic position of the earliest unequivocal fossil mites from the Devonian Rhynie Chert, which have been classified in five modern families and three suborders. Here, we thoroughly examine these specimens, assign them to a single species Protacarus crani (family Protoacaridae, fam. nov., suborder Endeostigmata) and integrate this information into a time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis. Our phylogeny suggests a Cambrian basal divergence of Acariformes (508-486 Ma), coinciding with the land colonization by bryophytes. At this time, the mites' ecological niches were probably diversified beyond the upper soil. Our study provides temporal context, improves the accuracy of fossil dating, and underscores the importance of mites' diverse habitats and their potential roles in soil food webs.
Source: Scientific Reports
Institutions: Purdue University West Lafayette, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biology of Inland Waters named Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Natural History Museum, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Zoological Institute, University of Reading, National University of San Juan
Language: English
Topic: Study of Mite Species
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4409600348