Gigatitan

Gigatitan is an extinct genus of titanopteran insect that lived in Kyrgyzstan during the Triassic period. The type species is G. vulgaris, described by Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov in 1968.[1] Fossils of Gigatitan have been found in the Madygen Formation.[2] In life, Gigatitan was a mantis-like predator with a wingspan of approximately 33 centimetres (13 in). Its forelimbs were similarly enlarged and bore spines for prey capture.[3] The ovipositor of Gigatitan bore sharp cutting ridges. These were likely used to excise holes in plant matter for oviposition, similar to some modern Orthoptera.[4] It is the type genus of the family Gigatitanidae, in which the closely related Nanotitan and Ootitan are also included.[1][5]

Gigatitan
Temporal range: Ladinian-Carnian
reconstruction of G. vulgaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Titanoptera
Clade: Gigatitanidae
Genus: Gigatitan
Sharov, 1968
Type species
Gigatitan vulgaris
Sharov, 1968
Species
  • G. extensus Sharov, 1968
  • G. magnificus Sharov, 1968
  • G. vulgaris Sharov, 1968
Synonyms

G. vulgaris

  • G. curtis Sharov, 1968
  • G. ovatus Sharov, 1968
  • G. similis Sharov, 1968

References

  1. Béthoux, O. (2007). "Cladotypic Taxonomy Applied: Titanopterans are Orthopterans". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 65 (2): 135–156. ISSN 1863-7221. S2CID 8775265.
  2. Gigatitan at Fossilworks.org
  3. Grimaldi, D. (2009). "Fossil Record". In Resh, V.H.; Cardé, R.T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Academic Press. pp. 396–403. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00114-4. ISBN 978-0-12-374144-8.
  4. Bethoux, O.; Galtier, J.; Nel, A. (2007). "Earliest Evidence of Insect Endophytic Oviposition". PALAIOS. 19 (4): 408–413. doi:10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0408:EEOIEO>2.0.CO;2.
  5. Gorochov, A.V. (2007). "The first representative of the suborder Mesotitanina from the Paleozoic and notes on the system and evolution of the order Titanoptera (Insecta: Polyneoptera)". Paleontological Journal. 41 (6): 621–625. doi:10.1134/S0031030107060056. ISSN 1555-6174.


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