中生代晚期传粉昆虫与虫媒植物的协同演化

Based on abundant and diverse specimens of pollinating insects collected during the last decade from the upper Mesozoic of northeastern China, Our proposed research will focus on the systematics, phylogeny, functional morphology, habitat occupation, and associations with entomophilous plant of these specimens to reveal the evolutionary biology and paleoecology of their pollination mutualisms prior to the appearance of angiosperms in the fossil record. We propose to compare pollination mechanisms of extinct insect lineages with major extant pollinating insects to understand the early history, phylogeny and evolution of modern pollinating insects. In particular, our investigation of the mouthparts, diets, feeding styles and body structures of preangiospermous fossil pollinators will be linked to developments in the geological and biological environment.We will evaluate whether coevolution can be demonstrated in fossil record of insect pollinators and plants with reference to several lines of evidence. The results from our study will provide not only empirical historical evidence of the origin and diversification of pollinating insects but also supply the theoretical significance for detecting the progresses and mechanisms of early coevolution with gymnospermous host plants.

在过去十年中我国东北中生代晚期地层中所采集到的丰富的传粉昆虫化石标本积累的基础上,对传粉昆虫化石分类、系统学、功能形态分析、生境习性以及与寄主植物的关系开展研究，揭示传粉昆虫与虫媒植物二者之间相互作用的机制和自然历史。通过对比绝灭和现生传粉昆虫代表类群的传粉机制，进一步理解现代传粉昆虫最初形成的早期历史和演化过程。尤其注重对典型传粉类群的口器类型、身体结构和取食习性进行形态功能分析，探讨昆虫传粉习性的演化与古生态、古环境变迁的内在联系及可能的模式。为当前研究昆虫与植物协同演化和生物与环境之间相互作用的关系及其演变历史提供可靠的地史材料和理论依据。

对中国北方晚石炭世及中生代晚期的直翅类、脉翅目,膜翅目、鞘翅目、长翅目等昆虫化石进行了系统的采集，采获各类昆虫化石16000余件。已发表科普专著1部,研究论文155篇，其中SCI论文149篇。分类学工作主要集中在脉翅目的丽蛉、长翅目的中生蝎蛉，膜翅目的叶峰等重要昆虫类群中。利用形态特征及分子序列片段，结合系统发育方法和几何形态学手段，对它们的系统发育关系进行了重建。报道昆虫3新科，68新属，180个新种。12个科为我国的首次发现，同时也是世界上该科的最老代表。在宁夏中卫石炭纪地层中的古直翅目昆虫化石（Miamia maimai）的后胸上发现了体长0.8mm的螨虫，在甲螨亚目混居甲螨总股（Mixonomata）下建立了一个新科（Carbolohmanniidae）,将甲螨类的起源向前推进了2.5亿年。证明了该螨虫和直翅目昆虫（Miamia maimai）是携带传播的关系。发现了中侏罗世脉翅目丽玲昆虫与本内苏铁裸子植物之间存在着一种新的传粉模式。证明了在中侏罗世具有细长吸受式口器的丽蛉昆虫昆虫可以在已灭绝的裸子植物上取食传粉滴，同时起到了传粉的作用，改变了人们对传粉昆虫早期生态演化的观点。成果为进一步研究传粉昆虫在被子植物辐射之前的起源和早期演化提供了基本的材料和证据。