Three new articles with new fossil taxa from Cretaceous amber of Myanmar

Scorpions are rare among the arthropods fossilized in amber, but several species have been described from Dominican and Baltic amber. Wilson Lourenco has now published three new papers with several new taxa based on scorpions found in Cretaceous amber of Myanmar.

Please note that the The Scorpion Files only lists extant taxa.

Abstract 1:
A fossil scorpion belonging to a new subfamily, Archaeoscorpiopinae subfam. nov., and to a new genus and species, Archaeoscorpiops cretacicus gen. n., sp. n., is described from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burma). This is the seventh species and the eighth fossil of scorpions to be described from Burmese amber. In addition to the previously described families and subfamilies (Electrochaerilinae, Chaerilobuthidae and Palaeotrilineatidae), the description of the new subfamily Archaeoscorpiopinae subfam. nov., provides further evidence about the phylogenetic position of certain Burmese Cretaceous amber scorpions and attests to a considerable degree of diversity in the Burmese amber-producing forests.

Abstract 2:
The study of four new scorpion specimens from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burma) lead to the description of three new species and to the clarification of the status of the genus Palaeoburmesebuthus Lourenço, the first scorpion described from Burmese amber. To present, ten species and twelve fossil scorpions have been described from Burmese amber. This attests to a considerable degree of diversity in the Burmese amber-producing forests.

Abstract 3:
The study of a new scorpion specimen from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burma) lead to the description of one new genus and species belonging to the subfamily Palaeoburmesebuthinae Lourenço, 2015. The new descriptions bring also further elements to the clarification of the status of this subfamily, proposed in the previous note of this volume. The new descriptions attest once again to the considerable degree of diversity in the Burmese amber-producing forests.

Reference 1:
Lourenco WR. A new subfamily, genus and species of fossil scorpions from cretaceous Burmese amber (Scorpiones: Palaeoeuscorpiidae). Beiträge zur Araneaologie. 2015;9:457–64.

Reference 2:
Lourenco WR. Clarification of the familiar status of the genus Palaeoburmesebuthus Lourenço, 2002 from cretaceous Burmese amber (Scorpiones: Archaeobuthidae: Palaeoburmesebuthinae). Beitraege zur Araneologie. 2015;9:465–75.

Reference 3:
Lourenco WR, Beigel A. A new genus and species of Palaeoburmesebuthinae Lourenço, 2015 (Scorpiones: Archaeobuthidae) from cretaceous amber of Myanmar. Beitraege zur Araneologie. 2015;9:476–80.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me these papers!