Daniel J. Bickel The first species described from Cape York amber,
Australia: Chaetogonopteron bethnorrisae n.sp.
(Diptera: Dolichopodidae)
Abstract: Amber has been found along Coral Sea beaches on northern Cape York Peninsula, Australia. The geological source
and age of this amber remains unknown. Both Cape York and Baltic amber are distinguished by having their major occurrence as
pieces found washed up on beaches. Cape York amber has many biological inclusions and Chaetogonopteron bethnorrisae (Diptera:
Dolichopodidae) is newly described from an inclusion found at Temple Bay, Queensland. Chaetogonopteron is a large extant Old
World genus, which also occurs in Australia. The genus probably arrived in Australia from the north as the Australian Plate drifted
northward during the Tertiary period, suggesting a maximum early Tertiary age for the amber.
|
35- 39
|