Paleontologists have described the oldest known member of Haidomyrmecinae — an extinct subfamily of ants that only lived during the Cretaceous period — preserved as a rock impression in the limestone of the Crato Formation in northeastern Brazil the new ant species lived 113 million years ago (Early Cretaceous epoch) The species represents the oldest definitive ant known to science and also the most complete evidence for the early evolution of ants in the fossil record “Vulcanidris cratensis represents the earliest undisputable geological record of ants,” said author Dr a paleontologist at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo “What makes this discovery particularly interesting is that it belongs to the extinct ‘hell ant,’ known for their bizarre predatory adaptations.” this species already displayed highly specialized anatomical features The previous oldest ants were found in France and Myanmar and were preserved in amber instead of limestone The existence of a hell ant in Brazil shows that ants were already widely distributed and diversified early in their evolution “Even though there have been hell ants described from amber this was the first time we could visualize this in a rock fossil,” Dr Dr. Lepeco and colleagues discovered the remarkably well-preserved ant specimen while systematically examining one of the world’s largest collections of fossil insects from the Crato Formation a deposit renowned for its exceptional fossil preservation “When I encountered this extraordinary specimen we immediately recognized its significance not only as a new species but as potentially the definitive evidence of ants in the Crato Formation,” Dr “This finding highlights the importance of thorough examination of existing collections — private or in museums — and brings a spotlight to Brazilian paleontology and the underexplored fossil insect fauna of the country.” the paleontologists found that Vulcanidris cratensis was closely related to hell ants previously known only from specimens preserved in Burmese amber from Myanmar The finding shows that the ants were widely distributed across the globe and must have crossed Cretaceous landmasses repeatedly But what astonished them most was the hell ant’s specialized features “While we expected to find hell ant features we were shocked by the characteristics of its feeding apparatus,” Dr “Unlike modern ants with laterally moving mandibles this species possessed mandibles that ran forward parallel to the head and facial projection anterior to the eyes.” “Finding such an anatomically specialized ant from 113 million years ago challenges our assumptions about how quickly these insects developed complex adaptations.” “The intricate morphology suggests that even these earliest ants had already evolved sophisticated predatory strategies significantly different from their modern counterparts.” “The discovery of this new ant specimen raises broader questions about the evolutionary pressures that led to the hell ant’s unique adaptations.” it’s now possible to examine such fossil specimens in much greater detail than ever before.” The discovery of Vulcanidris cratensis is reported in a paper published today in the journal Current Biology A hell ant from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil Metrics details An Author Correction to this article was published on 06 November 2023 This article has been updated The adult holotype of the fossil mayfly Astraeoptera cretacica Brandão et al is reviewed and attributed to a new family Astraeopteridae fam we also describe further new representatives of Astraeopteridae fam as well as the new genus and species Eosophobia acuta gen A subsequent character analysis of the new material suggests systematic affinities of Astraeopteridae fam with those extant families of Siphlonuroidea distributed in the Southern Hemisphere These newly described fossil Siphlonuroidea from the Cretaceous of Brazil thus add to the biogeography and systematics of mayflies we review the adult holotype of Astraeoptera cretacica and assign it to a new fossil family Astraeopteridae fam to be placed within the superfamily Siphlonuroidea Demoulin We also describe new representatives of Astraeopteridae fam namely the two new species Astraeoptera vitrea sp urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5670D822-3A70-4C12-BB66-14ADF09DF170 Forewing schemes with longitudinal veins of different Astraeopteridae fam. nov., cross veins are omitted. (a) Astraeoptera cretacica Brandão et al. 2021, LPRP/USP 0504. (b) Astraeoptera vitrea sp. nov., MPSC I 7437. (c) Astraeoptera oligovenata sp. nov., MPSC I 7438. (d) Eosophobia acuta gen. et sp. nov., MPSC I 7439. (a) General lateral view with reinterpretation of general body structures Oc frontal ocellus; Thorax: ANi anteronotal transverse impression ti3 hind tibia; Abdomen: I X abdominal segments Interpretation of cubital field of forewing Pterothorax more robust than in all other Siphlonuroidea entire thorax markedly elevated above head in a straight line posteriad mesonotal suture is more or less transverse (as in Siphluriscidae and Rallidentidae); lateroparapsidal suture bent inward distally (as in all other families of Siphlonuroidea); furcasternal protuberances relatively large and apparently not contiguous (as in all other southern families of Siphlonuroidea) Cross veins present throughout entire forewing except of cubital field; MA branches in the apical half of wing at about 2/3 of MA length; MP2 and CuA straight at their bases; CuA field narrow but larger than in other representatives of Siphlonuroidea; CuA simple not forked; one–two intercalary veins between MP2 and CuA (typical of Siphlonuroidea but longer than in the extant representatives); cubital field with four–eight distinct intercalary veins terminating at the outer margin of forewing (as in Oniscigastridae as long as 0.25–0.45 of forewing length (as in Ameletopsidae Paracercus vestigial or markedly diminished It can be excluded that the markedly elevated thorax is an artifact of compression due to fossilization The thorax is the most robust part of mayflies and hardly deformed during diagenesis and early stages of decomposition this would have been visible on the animal’s surface by cracks and shifting of thorax segments the thorax is either retained without deformation the thorax segments are shifted relative to each other the deformed thorax has a well-visible long dorsomedian opening (unpublished data from actualistic experiments and biostratinomic observations) 2021 [type species; adult female]; Astraeoptera vitrea sp [MPSC I 7437; adult male]; Astraeoptera oligovenata sp Body length and forewing length ranging from 8.00 to 13.20 mm Costal brace of forewing moderately arched; distal half of MA and MA1 not approximated to RP3 + 4; two intercalary veins between MP2 and CuA; cubital field with four–eight longitudinal veins subparallel to CuA at least two–three of them nearly subparallel to CuA Largest abdominal segments are VII and VIII Astraeoptera cretacica: Brandão et al. 2021; Cretaceous Research, 127: 2, Figs. 1 and 2 [description; incomplete adult female (holotype: LPRP/USP 0504); Aptian Crato Formation; within Euplectoptera incertae sedis] Emended diagnosis [based on adult female] Body length 8.00 mm Forewing length 7.60 mm; RP fork basally at 0.15 of forewing length; RP2 fork at about midlength of forewing; MA fork slightly asymmetrical; two long intercalaries between MP2 and CuA; cubital field with eight longitudinal veins subparallel to CuA Hind wing as long as 0.25 of forewing length For a summary of morphological characters of A. cretacica compared to other representatives of Astraeopteridae fam. nov., see Supplementary Table 1 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4777BD3D-7C99-4548-A80F-59D0B73B8FDD inventory number MPSC I 7437 (collection of Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens Species epithet derived from the Latin adjective vitreus for glassy as the preserved forewing of the holotype resembles shiny glass Forewing length 8.40 mm; costal brace arched and only slightly pronounced; fork of RP slightly distant from base at 0.23 of forewing length; RP2 forked at 0.48 of forewing length; two intercalaries between MP2 and CuA (one long and one short); cubital field with seven longitudinal veins subparallel to CuA Hind wing as long as 0.45 of forewing length thorax and anterior abdomen in lateral view PT prothorax; Abdomen: I and II abdominal segments (d) Right forewing with an interpretative overlay of venation Thorax in lateral view expanded above head. Prothorax narrow, approximately 0.38 mm in length. Pterothorax short, as long as approximately 1/3 of abdomen (3.38 mm in length). Mesothorax large; mesonotum elongated; MNs poorly distinguishable (Fig. 3c) Hind legs fragmentarily preserved, with indistinct margins between segments; distal end of [? left] hind leg reaches out to the middle of abdominal segment VI (Fig. 3a) Abdomen relatively large, with moderately tall segments (possibly the result of fossilization); abdominal segment VII is the tallest and widest; remnants of putative male genitalia on segment X are present, but poorly preserved. Only one terminal filament [? left cercus] partly preserved, fragmented, with approximately 3.00 mm in length (Fig. 3a,e) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DBB49369-612F-4F69-A0A0-FD877B08BCB5 inventory number MPSC I 7438 (collection of Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens Species epithet named after its fewer numbers of cubital intercalary veins compared to its congeners from Latin oligo for few and venatus for veined Basisternum of mesothorax relatively short Forewing length 11.40 mm; RP fork basally at 0.15 of RP length; RP2 fork basally at 0.26 of RP2 length; one intercalary between RP3 + 4 and MA; two intercalaries between MP2 and CuA (one short and one long); cubital field with at least three longitudinal veins subparallel to CuA Generalities. Incomplete specimen embedded in left lateral position, with damaged head and thorax. Left forewing partly preserved; venation poorly distinguishable; hind wings and all legs missing; abdominal segments without details, only traces preserved; only margins of segments I–IV visible; caudal filaments missing (Fig. 4a,b). fk facial keel; Thorax: ?ALSc anterolateral scutal costa All legs are missing. Abdominal segments I–IV nearly subequal in length. Caudal filaments missing (Fig. 4a) Urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1CC23ED-862E-43E2-9FB1-89997BF00969 after whom the related mayfly genus Astraeoptera was named Eosophobia is also a common medical term describing the fear of dawn or daylight It is also the name of a song by American musician Jack White III on the record “Fear of Dawn” which was in heavy rotation when describing this genus Body length 7.60 mm; forewing length 7.70 mm more than in Astraeoptera; relatively fewer cross veins than in Astraeoptera; RP fork at 0.22 of its length; RP2 fork at 0.20 of its length; distal half of MA + MA1 strongly approximated to RP3 + 4 (at least four times closer than in Astraeoptera); three long intercalaries between MP1 and MP2; one short intercalary between MP2 and CuA instead of two as in Astraeoptera; cubital field with at least eight longitudinal veins in an acute angle of CuA Largest abdominal segments of abdomen are V and VI (unlike VII and VIII in Astraeoptera) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F3200004-006F-4917-8BC9-4BB64D33EA6A inventory number MPSC I 7439 (collection of Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens The specific epithet is of female gender and derived from the Latin adjective acutus (sharp) referring to the posterior veins of the cubital field of forewing which are arranged in an acute angle to CuA compared to the respective subparallel orientation of these veins in the cubital fields of its congeners acuta refers to an acute condition of eosophobia (b) Right forewing in ventral view with an interpretative layer of venation but details of shape and venation poorly distinguishable; preserved part of hind wing as long as approximately 0.44 of forewing; traces of hind right wing of 3.40 mm in length Right foreleg fragmentarily preserved, with relatively wide femur; preserved part of tibia longer than femur. Preserved part of hind right femur relatively wide centrally; longer tibia (Fig. 5a) they refrained from placing it in an existing or new mayfly family stating that the specimen lacked crucial characters for a proper assignment and thus leaving its systematic position in limbo with several additional specimens available which could be placed in four different species and two genera it is possible to narrow down the systematic affinities of these mayflies most of the characters visible are plesiomorphic within Ephemeroptera so it is on the one hand difficult to find synapomorphic characters as sister group to another monophyletic group within Ephemeroptera it is actually easy to preclude their systematic placement within several of the traditional superfamilies or other higher taxa (see below) which is neither shortened nor reduced in both genera like it is in the Heptagenioidea probably have also no closer relationship with Baetoidea While it is not possible to evaluate the numbers of tarsomeres in the legs of the two genera of Astraeopteridae fam the combination of a well-developed transverse mesonotal suture and the basal approximation of CuA to CuP in the forewing still precludes the inclusion of Astraeopteridae fam on the one hand is a distinct phylogenetic lineage with autapomorphic characters it is lacking any obvious synapomorphic characters to place it within any other superfamily we place the new taxon provisionally as a separate family within Siphlonuroidea knowing that the lack of many key characters on the few specimens of Astraeopteridae fam precludes a thorough cladistic analysis at this time with only a few extant representatives in four small families mostly of amphinotic distribution in the Southern Hemisphere we hypothesize powered flight for Astraeopteridae fam since they present a robust thorax with putative strong flight muscles complete venation in the radial and cubital field which may have been also important for dispersal ability The remaining material was studied between 2016 and 2019 as a part of the fossil collection of Senckenberg Naturmuseum who had acquired it in 2004 from Fossils Worldwide and later kindly made it available to us for investigation Due to an exchange of specimens under the framework of an ongoing cooperation of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung with the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA) the following holotypes are now curated at the Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens Brazil (MPSC): Astraeoptera vitrea Storari 2023 (former inventory number SMF VI 1026) has received inventory number MPSC I 7437 the holotype of Astraeoptera oligovenata Storari 2023 (inventory number SMF VI 743) has received the inventory number MPSC I 7438 and the holotype of Eosophobia acuta Storari 2023 (inventory number SMF VI 802) has received the inventory number MPSC I 7439 The material was examined in dry condition as well as under a layer of ethanol using stereomicroscopes Olympus SZX7 and Leica M205 C Photographs were taken through a Leica Z16 APO Macroscope equipped with a Leica DFC450 Digital Camera using Leica Application Suite v Resulting photo stacks were processed with Helicon Focus Pro 6.4.1 to obtain combined photographs with extended depth of field and contrast and tonality were adjusted using Adobe Photoshop™ version 23.1.1 (Adobe Systems Incorporated All drawings were made using a Wacom tablet and the software Autodesk Version 8.6.1 Measurements were taken either by using an ocular grid or inferred from the photographs taken with a calibration scale (see Supplementary Table 1) as well as the possibility of association of these specimens within Astraeopteridae fam All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its Supplementary Information files All relevant data are available from the authors The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request All fossil specimens newly described in this study are housed in the institutional collection of Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens as specified in the Section “Material and methods” Respective inventory numbers of studied specimens are listed in this published article Requests for access to the fossil materials should be addressed to the curator of the collection This work has been registered online at zoobank.org under LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1A5D1BE4-2B49-4D36-8745-9D9A1A700D92 The new taxa are registered in zoobank.org A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46324-4 Estágio atual da paleoartropodologia Brasileira: Hexápodes Palaeoentomological paradise: The Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil In The Crato Fossil Beds of Brazil (eds Martill et al.) 163–184 (Cambridge University Press Storari, A. P. et al. An overview of the Hexagenitidae (Ephemeroptera) from the Crato Formation (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil, with the description of a new species. Hist. Biol. 34(5), 875–884. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1952196 (2022) Storari, A. P., Rodrigues, T., Bantim, R. A. M., Lima, F. J. & Saraiva, A. A. F. Mass mortality events of autochthonous faunas in a Lower Cretaceous Gondwanan Lagerstätte. Sci. Rep. 11, 6976. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85953-5 (2021) Taphonomy and preservation of Crato Formation arthropods Staniczek, A. H., Storari, A. P. & Godunko, R. J. Revised systematics, phylogeny, and paleontology of the mayfly family Baetiscidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Arthropod Syst. Phylogeny 80(3), 389–409. https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.80.e82845 (2022) Arai, M. & Assine, M. L. Chronostratigraphic constraints and paleoenvironmental interpretation of the Romualdo Formation (Santana Group, Araripe Basin, Northeastern Brazil) based on palynology. Cretac. Res. 116, 104610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104610 (2020) Staniczek, A. H., Bechly, G. & Godunko, R. J. Coxoplectoptera, a new fossil order of Palaeoptera (Arthropoda: Insecta), with comments on the phylogeny of the stem group of mayflies (Ephemeroptera). Insect Syst. Evol. 42, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631211X578406 (2011) Kluge, N. J. The Phylogenetic System of Ephemeroptera (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0872-3 Toward a phylogenetic classification of the Ephemeroptera (Insecta): A commentary on systematics A reclassification of Siphlonuroidea (Ephemeroptera) Phylogeny of Ephemeroptera (mayflies) based on molecular evidence Towards a new paradigm in mayfly phylogeny (Ephemeroptera): Conbined analysis of morphological and molecular data A rare mayfly Siphluriscus chinensis Ulmer (Ephemeroptera: Siphluriscidae) from Vietnam A.) 20–50 (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Contribution à l’étude morphologique systématique et phylogenique des Ephéméroptères jurassiques d’Europe centrale Troisième contribution à la connaissance des Ephéméroptères de l’ambre oligocène de la Baltique Late Cenozoic insect faunas in the northwestern region of Kagoshima Prefecture Jurassic mayflies (Ephemerida-Ephemeroptera) of southern Siberia and western Mongolia New Mesozoic mayflies (Ephemerida) from Mongolia In Late Mesozoic insects of Eastern Transbaikalia Vol New mayflies from Upper Mesozoic Transbaikalian locality Chernovskie Kopi (Insecta: Ephemerida = Ephemeroptera) The Ephemeridea (Insecta) from the Grès à Voltzia (early Middle Triassic) of the Vosges (NE France) A new fossil genus of Siphlonuridae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from the Dauhugou Huang, J. D., Ren, D., Sinitshenkova, N. D. & Shih, C. New fossil mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. Insect Sci. 15, 193–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7917.2008.00200.x (2008) Lin, Q. & Huang, D. New Middle Jurassic mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Siphlonuridae) from Inner Mongolia, China. Ann. Zool. 58(3), 521–527. https://doi.org/10.3161/000345408X364346 (2008) The Mayflies of North and Central America 1–330 (University of Minnesota Press Ribeiro, A. C. et al. Towards an actualistic view of the Crato Konservat-Lagerstätte paleoenvironment: A new hypothesis as an Early Cretaceous (Aptian) equatorial and semi-arid wetland. Earth Sci. Rev. 216, 103573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103573 (2021) Heimhofer, U. et al. Deciphering the depositional environment of the laminated Crato fossil beds (Early Cretaceous, Araripe Basin, North-eastern Brazil). Sedimentology 57(2), 677–694. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2009.01114.x (2010) Osés, G. L. et al. Deciphering the preservation of fossil insects: A case study from the Crato Member, Early Cretaceous of Brazil. PeerJ 4, e2756. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2756 (2016) The Mayflies of Europe (Ephemeroptera) 1–781 (Brill Download references Solórzano-Kraemer (Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Germany) for the loan of material of the Crato insect fossils and to allow publication of the results Brandão (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Brazil) for access to the original photographs of the holotype of Astraeoptera cretacica We would like to thank Milan Pallmann (SMNS) for his help with macro photographs Brazil) and an anonymous reviewer helped to improve the manuscript The authors are members of a Brazilian-German scientific network initiated for collaborative paleontological-geological investigations in the Brazilian Araripe Basin Together with the institutional collections from both countries the authors support a solution through solid scientific collaboration that can meet the demands regarding the proper safeguarding of this material of critical scientific importance The authors are aware of official contacts between Brazilian and German institutions in this matter Together with these institutions and their regulatory political authorities the authors are actively seeking a solution through solid scientific collaboration in the near future that can meet the demands regarding the proper safeguarding of paleontological heritage We appreciate the support of German scientific institutions (Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt and Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart) as well as German foundations supporting scientific research (DAAD and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation) for the excellent opportunity to openly study the Crato fossil collections and for the sponsorship of the lead author’s PhD project Open access funding is enabled and organized by the University of Łodź (Poland) The present paper contains results of a bilateral research project that received funding for the stay of A.P.S at SMNS by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD 91808123) and by the Coordenação de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES Investigation of the Mesozoic Crato material housed in German museums was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (No and also realized with institutional support of the Institute of Entomology (Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences) RVO: 60077344 Acquisition of research equipment used in this study has been carried out within equipment subsidy granted by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation [Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers] for R.J.G Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology Conceptualization: all authors; taxonomical data acquisition: A.P.S and R.J.G.; data analyses and visualisation: all authors; writing of the original draft: A.P.S and R.J.G.; review and editing of the draft: all authors The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations The original online version of this Article was revised: Full information regarding the corrections made can be found in the correction for this Article Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36778-x Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science With India missing the services of their first-choice men’s and women’s doubles combinations showing what they are capable of with a 21-13 21-18 win over Natasia Anthonisen and Alexandra Boje in the last rubber former world champion PV Sindhu came closest to bagging another point for India against Line Kjaersfeldt The 29-year-old showed glimpses of her old self as she took the lead in both games but could not maintain the momentum and lost narrowly 20-22 © 2025 Cricket The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer © 2025 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved The fossil was uncovered in the Araripe Basin in a limestone layer called the Crato Formation when the ancient supercontinent Gondwana was breaking apart a mushroom fell into a river and began an improbable journey Its ultimate fate as a mineralized fossil preserved in limestone in northeast Brazil makes it a scientific wonder The world’s oldest fossil mushroom was preserved in limestone The mushroom somehow made its way into a highly saline lagoon sank through the stratified layers of salty water and was covered in layer upon layer of fine sediments In time – lots of it – the mushroom was mineralized its tissues replaced by pyrite (fool’s gold) which later transformed into the mineral goethite The mushroom lived during the Early Cretaceous a time of dinosaurs when the ancient supercontinent Gondwana was breaking apart “Most mushrooms grow and are gone within a few days,” said Illinois Natural History Survey paleontologist Sam Heads who discovered the mushroom when digitizing a collection of fossils from the Crato Formation of Brazil “The fact that this mushroom was preserved at all is just astonishing Illinois Natural History Survey paleontologist Sam Heads INHS mycologist Andrew Miller and their colleagues report the discovery of a 115 million-year-old fossil mushroom the chances of this thing being here – the hurdles it had to overcome to get from where it was growing into the lagoon be mineralized and preserved for 115 million years – have to be minuscule,” he said The Crato Formation mushroom fossil is the oldest ever discovered Before this discovery, the oldest fossil mushrooms found had been preserved in amber, said INHS mycologist Andrew Miller “They were enveloped by a sticky tree resin and preserved as the resin fossilized “This is a much more likely scenario for the preservation of a mushroom since resin falling from a tree directly onto the forest floor could readily preserve specimens This certainly seems to have been the case given the mushroom fossil record to date.” The mushroom was about 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall. Electron microscopy revealed that it had gills under its cap, rather than pores or teeth structures that release spores and that can aid in identifying species “Fungi evolved before land plants and are responsible for the transition of plants from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment,” Miller said “Associations formed between the fungal hyphae and plant roots The fungi shuttled water and nutrients to the plants which enabled land plants to adapt to a dry and the plants fed sugars to the fungi through photosynthesis The Crato Formation underlies a vast tableland of eroded rock The world’s oldest fossil mushroom was found here in northeast Brazil The researchers place the mushroom in the Agaricales order and have named it Gondwanagaricites magnificus The INHS is a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois The National Science Foundation is funding a project to digitize INHS fossil collections To reach Sam Heads, call 217-244-9448; email swheads@illinois.edu.To reach Andrew Miller, call 217-419-6589; email amiller7@illinois.edu.  The paper “The oldest fossil mushroom” is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178327 — It’s a Saturday afternoon and I’m waiting in a cramped hallway beneath The Joyce Theater stage in Chelsea and I feel anxious as I attempt to take my mind off the looming event — Four faculty members from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been newly elected as members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences one of the oldest honorary societies in the United States physics professor Aida El-Khadra and chemistry professor Jonathan Sweedler are […] —  Educators and researchers have had longstanding concerns about the quality of computer science instruction in U.S A recent study exploring student learning and computer science teachers’ qualifications in one state suggests that these teachers may be better qualified than those teaching other subjects Email: stratcom@illinois.edu Phone (217) 333-5010 AET has been a leading provider of shipping solutions to meet the world’s evolving energy needs Learn More about About Us together with our expanding infrastructure and highly skilled personnel in Houston give us an unrivalled ability to deliver more energy with less emissions Learn More about Solutions governance and reporting are integrated with our Energy Transition Strategy to deliver more energy with less emissions AET Sustainability Strategy about Sustainability Read More about Media Centre a leading owner and operator of maritime transportation assets and specialised services the final of three Suezmax Dynamic Positioning (DP2) Shuttle Tankers purpose-built for long-term charter to Petróleo Brasileiro S.A based on the agreement signed in February 2020 The eco-efficient and highly specialised DP2 shuttle tanker Eagle Crato was unveiled at a naming ceremony held at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Shipyard in Geoje Eagle Crato will be delivered to AET tomorrow and subsequently to Petrobras to commence her operations in the Brazilian Basin in a few weeks plus six other DPSTs which AET already operates for Petrobras AET President & CEO and MISC Group COO said: “Today’s naming of Eagle Crato marks another significant milestone in our growing partnership with Petrobras This memorable event reinforces AET’s commitment to eco-efficient and high-quality operations in Brazil and AET team members for ensuring the safe and timely construction as well as delivery of our latest vessel Eagle Crato is another highly specialised DP2 shuttle tanker that signifies a further step forward in our contribution to building a more sustainable maritime ecosystem Through our close collaboration with our partners we will continually invest in innovation to lower the industry’s carbon footprint All part of AET’s commitment to meeting the IMO’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) intensity reduction ambition and our commitment across the MISC Group to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.” “Petrobras is very pleased to participate in this ceremony which represents another step towards increasing the capacity and strength of our logistics resources making Petrobras prepared for its future challenges We are happy to see that Eagle Crato is designed in accordance with the sustainability concepts that Petrobras is committed to.” “It is a great honor to represent Petrobras at Eagle Crato’s christening ceremony This memorable event has been possible due to the dedication of many people that worked hard for the safe construction of this extraordinary shuttle tanker high standard vessel will improve the safety and efficiency of Petrobras’ operations in Brazil.” President & Group Chief Executive Officer “AET’s remarkable growth journey into one of the largest shuttle tanker players in the world within a relatively short span certainly did not happen by chance Their steadfastness in pursuing strategic opportunities is matched by their determination towards creating innovative and sustainable solutions to meet their customers’ business ambitions I am proud to witness the significant efforts made by AET in strengthening its formidable reputation as an industry leader consistently proving its capability and commitment to deliver high-quality solutions safely we celebrate another milestone of growth and continued progress for AET and the MISC Group towards building a sustainable future for the maritime industry I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Petrobras and ABS for your unwavering trust and support as we continue to chart our journey forward in moving energy to build a better world.” AET and Eaglestar site teams have been working closely with the SHI team to ensure the safe and timely construction and subsequent delivery of Eagle Crato and her two sister vessels during the ongoing pandemic Eaglestar is also the appointed ship manager of Eagle Crato this 155,000 DWT DP2 shuttle tanker was built to Petrobras’ technical requirements in Brazil and will operate to the highest operational and environmental standards including full compliance with IMO NOx Tier 3 and SOx emission requirements Eagle Crato is classed with ABS and equipped with electrical-driven Variable Frequency Drive cargo pumps and high-power thrusters for enhanced fuel efficiency Eagle Crato is also fully capable of operating in weather conditions expected for her class The eco-efficient vessel is fitted with energy-saving devices such as Saver Fins and Savor Stator for improved propulsion efficiency and is approximately 6% more efficient than the EEDI Phase 2 requirements Eagle Crato is the eighth vessel and the sixth DPST that AET will be taking delivery of in 2022 and all have been safely and timely constructed and delivered AET is growing our global DPST fleet to 17 AET will operate nine DPSTs for Petrobras and in total 13 offshore Brazil with another four operating in the North Sea including two dual-fuel DPSTs *Terms and Conditions As a global energy logistics solutions provider high-quality maritime logistics solutions and services and set new standards in greener shipping We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and for analytical purposes you are deemed to accept our use of cookies a group of paleobotanists announced the discovery of a fossil of a new lily species has yielded dozens of fossils with well-preserved soft tissue “The way the lily was deposited in an ancient lake is quite unusual for an herbaceous plant,” says Clemént Coiffard of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin one of the authors of the article describing the flower in Nature Plants alongside Mary Elizabeth Cerruti Bernardes-de-Oliveira of the University of São Paulo (USP) “Apart from “classically” deposited tree and shrub fossils with branches and leaves many plants there are preserved with their roots attached While the reason the Crato formation preserves such paleontological wealth remains unknown Brazilian researchers have developed a hypothesis to explain the phenomenon microbial mats may have been involved in the fossilization of a wide range of organisms These microorganisms are thought to have played a fundamental role by encapsulating and protecting the integrity of plant and animal remains at the bottom of this paleolake Among the fossilized creatures that have been found in Crato are a snake with vestigial limbs The site offers a unique window through which paleontologists can study the tropical biodiversity of the Early Cretaceous period between 146 million and 100 million years ago “A succession of events needs to occur for an organism to be preserved,” says geologist Lucas Warren of the Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences at São Paulo State University (IGCE-UNESP) “It’s a complex process for which we have formulated a simpler and more parsimonious hypothesis.” To find clues about the fossilization process Warren and doctoral student Filipe Varejão began studying fossil collections and geological samples taken from the region and went on field trips to investigate several areas of the Crato Konservat-Lagerstatte a limestone formation from which most fossils in the region have been unearthed During the period in which this type of rock was being formed by sediments, Brazil had not yet completely separated from Africa. What is now the South Atlantic was then only beginning to become flooded, and the Crato Konservat-Lagerstatte was connected to the marine region where pre-salt deposits—the submerged geological formation from which Brazil has begun to extract oil—were then in formation. Museum Für Naturkunde Berlin Cratolirion bognerianum a 115-million-year-old fossilized lilyMuseum Für Naturkunde Berlin The mechanical stability provided by the microbial mat supports the mineralization processes required to solidify the fossil three different processes are involved: pyritization or replacement of tissues with iron sulfide; kerogenization in which organic matter becomes inorganic and insoluble; and phosphatization in which phosphates take the place of the fibers of dead organisms which produce energy from inorganic compounds without the need for light Depending on the level at which a dead organism has been anchored Because the Crato formation exhibits exceptionally preserved fossils formed by all three processes it was difficult to devise a single explanation that could account for them all together The microbial mat model proposed by Varejão attempts to solve the problem without having to resort to complex chemical and geological processes The mechanical fixation generated by the microbial mat would be sufficient to explain the occurrence of well-preserved fossil specimens in the Crato formation The newly discovered specimen also fills an important gap in the evolutionary history of monocotyledonous plants—or plants whose seeds have a single cotyledon—suggesting that they probably originated in the tropics Understanding the origin of the Crato Formation can also provide clues for geologists to find other sites with similar rocks potentially harboring well-preserved fossils Areas rich in fossils are typically subject to external pressures researchers say the area is already showing signs of depletion “Quarriers are reporting that they now find fewer fossils than in the past,” says Varejão “They say they keep the most beautiful specimens The most beautiful fossil to look at not always holds the greatest scientific value.” © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved This Fossil Friday features an as yet undescribed putative fossil flowering plant from the Lower Cretaceous Crato limestone of northeast Brazil I photographed this beautiful specimen at a German trader’s collection in July 2008 Flowering plants or angiosperms appear abruptly in the fossil record of the Lower Cretaceous (about 130 million years ago) which of course contradicts the gradualist expectations of Darwinian evolution which clearly proves that this is not an artifact of our insufficient knowledge about an incomplete fossil record The most recent claim for a Jurassic angiosperm was made by Wang (2021) with the description of an alleged angiosperm fruit Dilcherifructus mexicana from the Middle Jurassic of North America The fact that such a sensational discovery which would be akin to finding the holy grail of paleobotany was published in an arcane journal without an impact factor instead of the cover story in a top-tier journal like Nature should ring all your alarm bells there is a reason this paper was totally ignored by the paleobotanic scientific community This reason is as simple as it is embarrassing: the paper is total bonkers!  Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie Clement Coiffard of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin discovered the oldest completely preserved lily in the research collection: Cratolirion bognerianum was found in calcareous sediments of a former freshwater lake in Crato in northeastern Brazil Cratolirion is one of the oldest known monocotyledonous plants Cratolirion is extraordinarily well preserved the flower and even the individual cells are fossilised but also shows almost all the typical characteristics of monocotyledonous plants it was not trivial to examine the fossilised object as it consisted of iron oxides associated with the stone Coiffard collaborated with the HZB physicist Dr who is an expert in 3D analysis with X-rays and neutrons At the HZB he also built up a 3D computed x-ray tomography and refined the data analysis in such a way that hardly any disturbing artefacts arise during the investigation of large This made it possible to analyse the details of the inflorescence hidden in the stone A colour coding in the CT scan makes these details visible: the main axis is marked in turquoise the pistils in light green and the remains of the actual petals can still be seen in orange Many early dicotyledonous flowering plants have already been described from the same sediments of the former freshwater lake in Crato drought-resistant magnolias and relatives of pepper and laurel In contrast to other flowering plants of the same age from the USA the flowering plants of the Crato-Flora are unusually diverse This could be due to the fact that Lake Crato was in the lower latitudes but all other fossils of early flowering plants come from the middle latitudes 10.1038/s41477-019-0468-y are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) the third and final Suezmax second-generation dynamic positioning (DP2) shuttle tanker built for a long-term charter with Petrobras is expected to start operations off Brazil in a few weeks a Singapore-based petroleum logistics unit of Malaysia’s MISC Berhad AET revealed that it had named its newest vessel – Eagle Crato – the final of three Suezmax DP2 shuttle tankers purpose-built for the charter with Petrobras AET President & CEO and MISC Group COO remarked: “Today’s naming of Eagle Crato marks another significant milestone in our growing partnership with Petrobras and AET team members for ensuring the safe and timely construction as well as delivery of our latest vessel.” The company explained that the “eco-efficient and highly specialized” DP2 shuttle tanker was unveiled at a naming ceremony held at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Shipyard in Geoje The vessel was expected to be delivered to AET on 29 July 2022 Commenting at the naming ceremony, Rafael Noac Feldman stated: “Petrobras is very pleased to participate in this ceremony making Petrobras prepared for its future challenges.” The Eagle Crato shuttle tanker is anticipated to start operations in the Brazilian Basin for Petrobras in a few weeks joining its sister vessels, Eagle Colatina and Eagle Cambe AET and Eaglestar site teams have been working closely with the SHI team to ensure the safe and timely construction and subsequent delivery of Eagle Crato and her two sister vessels during the ongoing pandemic Eaglestar is also the appointed ship manager of Eagle Crato This 155,000 DWT DP2 shuttle tanker was built to Petrobras’ technical requirements in Brazil and will operate to the “highest operational and environmental standards,” including full compliance with IMO NOx Tier 3 and SOx emission requirements. The vessel is classed with ABS and equipped with electrical-driven variable frequency drive cargo pumps and high-power thrusters for enhanced fuel efficiency.  Eagle Crato is also fully capable of operating in weather conditions expected for its class the vessel is fitted with energy-saving devices such as Saver fins and Savor Stator for improved propulsion efficiency and is approximately 6 per cent more efficient than the EEDI Phase 2 requirements “Eagle Crato is another highly specialised DP2 shuttle tanker that signifies a further step forward in our contribution to building a more sustainable maritime ecosystem All part of AET’s commitment to meeting the IMO’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) intensity reduction ambition and our commitment across the MISC Group to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050,” added Capt Eagle Crato is the eighth vessel and the sixth DPST that AET will be taking delivery of in 2022 AET is growing its global DPST fleet to 17 commented: “AET’s remarkable growth journey into one of the largest shuttle tanker players in the world within a relatively short span certainly did not happen by chance we celebrate another milestone of growth and continued progress for AET and the MISC Group towards building a sustainable future for the maritime industry.” AET will now operate nine DPSTs for Petrobras and 13 in total offshore Brazil Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox Metrics details Mass mortality events are unusual in the Crato Formation Although mayflies’ accumulations have been previously reported from that unit Here we provide the first taphonomic analysis of a mayfly mass mortality event from a layer 285 cm from the top of the Formation and an overview of the general biological community structure of a three meters deep excavated profile The only other autochthonous taxon observed in the mayfly mortality layer was the gonorynchiform fish Dastilbe The larvae and fishes were smaller than usual in the layer 285 cm suggesting that they lived in a shallow water column Their excellent preservation and a lack of preferential orientation in the samples suggest an absence of significant transport We also recovered allochthonous taxa in that layer indicative of drier weather conditions Adjacent layers presented crystals and pseudomorphs of halite Dastilbe juveniles were often found in mass mortality events Our findings support the hypothesis that the Crato Formation’s palaeolake probably experienced seasonal high evaporation caused by the hot climate tending to aridity affecting the few autochthonous fauna that managed to live in this setting mayflies’ mortality horizons during the Cretaceous are observed in a geographic range covering Mongolia having as a possible cause the tropical climate tending to aridity previous observations on mayfly mass mortality events within the Crato Formation lacked crucial stratigraphic control Here we provide the first taphonomic analysis of specimens collected from controlled excavations Locality map. Antônio Finelon Mine, Nova Olinda municipality, Ceará State, Brazil. Outcrops of the Crato Formation and of the Araripe Basin are also indicated. Excavation profile of an outcrop of the Crato Formation. Antônio Finelon Mine, Nova Olinda municipality, Ceará State, Brazil. On the right, the section excavated of 3.10 m in depth, at level C6, evidencing the lithostratigraphic position of the fossil assemblage and levels with fossil accumulation. Photograph of the controlled excavations at Antônio Finelon Mine Halite crystals recovered from layer 288 cm since most larvae were not mature enough to moult into adulthood Preservation of larvae from layer 285 cm. Larvae of Protoligoneuria limai recovered from layer 285 cm, evidencing the excellent preservation of specimens. Scale bar 5 mm. (A) Dastilbe specimen recovered at level 205 cm Scale bar: 25 mm; (B) One of the smallest Dastilbe specimens recovered at level 285 cm Scale bar: 5 mm; (C) A layer with several Dastilbe specimens (inside the blue circles) with preferential orientation The values written next to the fossils refer to the azimuth all of them also without preferential orientation Most of the layers in which Ephemeroptera larvae were found during the controlled excavations presented few individuals, such as one or two. Eighteen larvae were recovered from a layer 180.4 cm from the top of the Formation. However, most individuals had preferential orientation (Supplementary Fig. S1) so this aggregation was probably caused by transport the number of preserved specimens at this layer was much smaller than that of layer 285 cm The fossil assemblage of the excavated profile exhibits several groups: plants such as angiosperms (Iara sp gymnosperms (Araucaria sp.; Brachyphyllum sp.; Brachyphyllum obesum; Duartenia sp.; Duartenia araripensis; Frenelopsis sp.; Ginkgo sp.; Lindleycladus sp.; Podozamites sp.; Pseudofrenelopsis sp.; Welwitschia sp.) and pteridophytes (Ruffordia goeppertii Mohr et al. the following groups were recovered: insects (Blattodea/Blattaria and Isoptera; Diptera; Ephemeroptera; Hemiptera; Hymenoptera; Orthoptera) as well as several unidentified specimens) The most common taxon recovered was the fish Dastilbe representing 79% of all specimens collected during the excavation with 5% (no adult hexagenitid was recovered) Mayflies' larvae constituted 85% of the total number of insect specimens excavated Almost all recovered Dastilbe specimens were juveniles Fish from other taxa and Dastilbe in other ontogenetic stages are present mainly disarticulated or represented by isolated parts (such as operculum and scales) In this controlled excavation, there is low species richness in some layers, while in other layers, interchangeably, there is a higher species richness in the assemblage. The richness peaks mostly occur at the frequent Dastilbe mass mortality layers (Fig. 2) then time-averaging is a possible factor for the accumulation As the analysed taphonomic signatures of all autochthonous individuals of the layer 285 cm are similar and their remains are articulated we suggest that the mayflies' individuals died simultaneously It is crucial to perform excavations with stratigraphic control to determine whether mass mortality events are extraordinary taphonomic modes within a unit or whether they are more common. Our controlled excavations (Fig. 2) show that though the abundant Dastilbe fishes are frequently found in accumulations suggestive of mass mortalities likely that the Crato Formation hexagenitids occurred in quiet waters agreeing with the hypothesis of an autochthonous fauna The smaller sizes of the Dastilbe individuals found in layer 285 cm are consistent with a shallower water column episode recovered from the controlled excavation; (B) Pseudofrenelopsis sp no sedimentological structures compatible with storm events so the habitat of the Koonwarra depositional site might have been different of that of Crato they were probably buried close to the original freshwater habitat of their larvae since fish from other taxa and Dastilbe in other ontogenetic stages are rarer and mainly disarticulated or representing isolated parts and could represent carcasses that were transported into the excavated locality We found in this controlled excavation that mayflies' larvae constituted 85% of the total number of insect specimens excavated These low percentages previously found are probably due to taxonomically biased collections and/or absence of excavations with stratigraphic control Such environmental scenario possibly resulted in this punctual mass mortality a more detailed analysis of environmental proxies is urgent to interpret biological crises in the Araripe Basin better Excavations with stratigraphic control at the Crato Formation provide essential data to understand major tendencies in its ancient biological community The dominant taxon found in the controlled excavation was the gonorynchiform fish Dastilbe representing the best candidates for quantitative studies in the Crato Formation As mayfly fossils represent part of the lake’s autochthonous fauna can be used to understand the palaeoenvironmental context of this unit better All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article (and its “Supplementary Information” files) Neumann, V. H., Borrego, A. G., Cabrera, L. & Dino, R. Organic matter composition and distribution through the Aptian-Albian lacustrine sequences of the Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. Int. J. Coal. Geol. 54, 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-5162(03)00018-1 (2003) In The Crato Fossil Beds of Brazil: Window into an Ancient World (eds Martill geoquímica y diagénesis de los sistemas lacustres Aptienses-Albienses de la Cuenca de Araripe (Noreste de Brasil) (Universidad de Barcelona In Fossils of the Santana and Crato Formations M.) 20–50 (The Palaeontological Association Field Guides to Fossils Martínez-Delclòs, X., Briggs, D. E. G. & Peñalver, E. Taphonomy of insects in carbonates and amber. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 203, 19–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-0182(03)00643-6 (2004) Ephemeroptera) from the Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous) In The Crato Fossil Beds of Brazil: Window into an ancient world (eds Martill et al.) 429–443 (Cambridge University Press The Mesozoic mayflies (Ephemeroptera) with special reference to their ecology In 4th International Conference of Ephemeroptera (eds Landa et al.) 61–66 (Czechoslovak Academy of Science Martill, D. M., Brito, P. M. & Washington-Evans, J. Mass mortality of fishes in the Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Albian) of northeast Brazil. Cretac. Res. 29(4), 649–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2008.01.012 (2008) Insetos fósseis como bioindicadores em depósitos sedimentares: um estudo de caso para o Cretáceo da Bacia do Araripe (Brasil) A revision and phylogenetic study of Mesozoic Aeshnoptera genera and species (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera) new term and concept: A taphonomic analysis providing possible paleoethologic inferences Special cases from arthropods of the santana formation (Lower Cretaceous Osés, G. L. et al. Deciphering the preservation of fossil insects: A case study from the Crato Member, Early Cretaceous of Brazil. PeerJ. 4, e2756. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2756 (2016) Bacia do Araripe: uma proposta de classificação CE-Riquíssimo registro de fauna e flora do Cretáceo In Sítios Geológicos e Paleontológicos do Brasil (eds Schobbenhaus et al.) 113–120 (Comissão Brasileira de Sítios Geológicos e Paleobiológicos Taphonomic signatures of a new Upper Triassic phytosaur (Diapsida Archosauria) bonebed from India: Aggregation of a juvenile-dominated paleocommunity The Fidelity of Preservation of Insects from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil (University of Portsmouth Evolutionary Paleobiology of Behavior and Coevolution (Elsevier Palaeontology of the Green River Formation 1–333 (Geological Survey of Wyoming Bulletin On nymph Ephemeropsis trisetalis Eichwald (Insecta) Inferences regarding the feeding behavior and morphoecological patterns of fossil mayfly nymphs (Insecta Ephemeroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of northeastern Brazil Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of the Upper Midwest (University of Minnesota On the classification of Fossil and Recent Ephemeroptera Registro angiospérmico Eocretáceo do Membro Crato NE do Brasil: Interpretações paleoambientais paleoclimáticas e paleofitogeográficas (Universidade de São Paulo Archibald, S. B. & Makarkin, V. N. Tertiary giant lacewings (Neuroptera: Polystoechotidae): Revision and description of new taxa from western North America and Denmark. J. Syst. Palaeontol. 4, 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1477201906001817 (2005) Boyero, L., Cardinale, B. J., Bastian, M. & Pearson, R. G. Biotic vs abiotic control of decomposition: A comparison of the effects of simulated extinctions and changes in temperature. PLoS ONE 9(1), e87426. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087426 (2014) Leur Contribution à la Fossilisation des Organismes au Corps Mou Fish oblique to bedding in early diagenetic concretions from the Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil e implications for substrate consistency Kok, M. D., Schouten, S. & Damsté, J. S. S. Formation of insoluble, nonhydrolyzable, sulfur-rich macromolecules via incorporation of inorganic sulfur species into algal carbohydrates. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 64, 2689–2699. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(00)00382-3 (2000) Kluge, N. J. The Phylogenetic System of Ephemeroptera (Kluwer Academic, 2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0872-3 Camp, A. A., Funk, D. H. & Buchwalter, D. B. A stressful shortness of breath: Molting disrupts breathing in the mayfly Cloeon dipterum. Freshw. Sci. 33(3), 695–699. https://doi.org/10.1086/677899 (2014) The macrophyte flora of the Crato Formation et al.) 537–565 (Cambridge University Press Kunzmann, L., Mohr, B. A. R. & Bernardes-De-Oliveira, M. E. C. Gymnosperms from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil). I. Araucariaceae and Lindleycladus (incertae sedis). Foss. Rec. 7, 155–174. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmng.20040070109 (2004) Indicadores Paleoclimáticos na Paleoflora do Crato In Paleontologia: Cenários de Vida-Paleoclimas (eds Carvalho Kershaw, P. & Wagstaff, B. The Southern Conifer Family Araucariaceae: History, status, and value for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 32, 397–414. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.32.081501.114059 (2001) Lima, F. J. et al. Fire in the paradise: Evidence of repeated palaeo-wildfires from the Araripe Fossil Lagerstätte (Araripe Basin, Aptian-Albian), Northeast Brazil. Palaeobio. Palaeoenv. 99, 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-018-0359-7 (2019) Makarkin, V. N. & Menon, F. New species of the Mesochrysopidae (Insecta, Neuroptera) from the Crato Formation of Brazil (Lower Cretaceous), with taxonomic treatment of the family. Cretac. Res. 26, 801–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2005.05.009 (2005) Williams, W. D. Salinisation: A major threat to water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Lakes and Reservoirs. Res. Manag. 4, 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1770.1999.00089.x (1999) Clarke, R. T. & Hering, D. Errors and uncertainty in bioassessment methods, major results and conclusions from the STAR project and their application using STARBUGS. Hydrobiologia 566, 433–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0079-2 (2006) Salinity tolerances of four species of fish from the Murray-Darling River system Lancaster, J. & Scudder, G. G. E. Aquatic Coleoptera and Hemiptera in some Canadian saline lakes: Patterns in community structure. Can. J. Zool. 65(6), 1383–1390. https://doi.org/10.1139/z87-218 (1987) Metzeling, L. Benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in streams of different salinities. Mar. Freshw. Res. 44, 335–351. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9930335 (1993) Berezina, N. A. Tolerance of freshwater invertebrates to changes in water salinity. Russ. J. Ecol. 34(4), 261–266. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024597832095 (2003) James, K. R., Cant, B. & Ryan, T. Responses of freshwater biota to rising salinity levels and implications for saline water management: A review. Aust. J. Bot. 51(6), 703. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT02110 (2003) Nielsen, D. L., Brock, M. A., Rees, G. N. & Baldwin, D. S. Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia. Aust. J. Bot. 51(6), 655–665. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT02115 (2003) Hart, B. T., Lake, P. S., Webb, J. A. & Grace, M. R. Ecological risk to aquatic systems from salinity increases. Aust. J. Bot. 51(6), 689. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT02111 (2003) The Gonorynchiform fish Dastilbe from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil In Plants and invertebrates from the Lower Cretaceous Koonwarra fossil bed J.) 111–205 (Memoir of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists Fossil insects from the Tithonian ‘Solnhofener Plattenkalke’ in the Museum of Natural History et al.) 59–68 (Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers Hellawell, J. & Orr, P. J. Deciphering taphonomic processes in the Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming. Palaeobiodivers. Palaeoenviron. 93, 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-012-0092-6 (2012) Taphonomy of Eocene fish from Fossil Basin Krzemiński, W., Soszyńska-Maj, A., Bashkuev, A. S. & Kopeć, K. Revision of the unique Early Cretaceous Mecoptera from Koonwarra (Australia) with description of a new genus and family. Cretac. Res. 52, 501–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.04.004 (2015) Fish taphonomy and environmental inference in Paleolimnology Tarwinia australis (Siponaptera: Tarwiniidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Koonwarra fossil bed: Morphological revision and analysis of its evolutionary relationship Fish from the freshwater Lower Cretaceous of Victoria Australia with comments of the palaeo-environment Solnhofen: A Study in Mesozoic Palaeontology (Cambridge University Press New fossil dragonflies from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of north-east Brazil (Insecta: Odonata) Fielding, S., Martill, D. M. & Naish, D. Solnhofen-style soft-tissue preservation in a new species of turtle from the Crato Formation (Early Cretaceous, Aptian) of north-east Brazil. Palaeontology 48, 1301–1310. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00508.x (2005) In Ecology and General Biology: Thorp and Covich’s Freshwater Invertebrates (eds Thorp The Jehol Fossils: TheEmergence of Feathered Dinosaurs Beaked Birds and Flowering Plants (Academic Press Zhang, X. & Sha, J. Sedimentary laminations in the lacustrine Jianshangou Bed of the Yixian Formation at Sihetun, western Liaoning, China. Cretac. Res. 36, 96–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.02.010 (2012) Fürsich, F. T., Sha, J., Jiang, B. & Pan, Y. High resolution palaeoecological and taphonomic analysis of Early Cretaceous lake biota, western Liaoning (NE-China). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 253, 434–457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.06.012 (2007) A model for organic fossilization of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte based on the taphonomy of “Ephemeropsis trisetalis” Paleoecology of the conifers Frenelopsis and Pseudofrenelopsis (Cheirolepidiaceae) from the Cretaceous Potomac Group of Maryland and Virginia A new Clupeomorph fish from the Santana Formation (Albian) of NE Brazil Valença, M. M., Neumann, V. H. & Mabesoone, J. M. An overview on Callovian-Cenomanian intracratonic basins of northeast Brazil: Onshore stratigraphic record of the opening of the southern Atlantic. Geol. Acta. 1, 261–275. https://doi.org/10.1344/105.000001614 (2003) Barling, N., Martill, D. M., Heads, S. W. & Gallien, F. High fidelity preservation of fossil insects from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil. Cretac. Res. 52(B), 605–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.05.007 (2015) Catto, B., Jahnert, R. J., Warren, L. V., Varejão, F. G. & Assine, M. L. The microbial nature of laminated limestones: lessons from the Upper Aptian, Araripe Basin, Brazil. Sediment. Geol. 341, 304–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2016.05.007 (2016) Warren, L. V. et al. Stromatolites from the Aptian Crato Formation, a hypersaline lake system in the Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. Facies 63(3), 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-016-0484-6 (2017) Download references The authors thank Zhong-Qiang Chen for the helpful contributions We are grateful to Lucio Silva for receiving us at the Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens Hermínio Ismael de Araújo Júnior for valuable comments on an earlier version This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)—312360/2018-5 to TR and 305705/2019-9 to FJL and by the Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—FUNCAP under Grant BP3-013900202.01.00/18 to AAFS BMD-0124-00302.01.01/19 to RAMB and SPU: 9871903/2018 to FJL conducted lab work and investigation; A.P.S discussed the results and revised the manuscript Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85953-5 when car-size pterosaurs flew overhead and long-necked sauropods tromped about on Earth a tiny mushroom no taller than a chess piece fell into a river and later fossilized — a feat that makes it the oldest-known fossilized mushroom on record a supercontinent that once existed in the Southern Hemisphere it floated into a salty lagoon and sank to the bottom the pyrite transformed into the mineral goethite Researchers named the 2-inch-tall (5 centimeters) mushroom Gondwanagaricites magnificus The genus name combines Gondwana with "agarikon," the Greek word for mushroom The species name is Latin for "magnificent," because the specimen had remarkable preservation An electron microscope image revealed the mushroom had gills under its cap instead of pores or spines (also called teeth) helped the researchers place the mushroom in a scientific order of gilled mushrooms called Agaricales Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox Until now, the oldest fungi on record were 99-million-year-old specimens (Palaeoagaricites antiquus) trapped in amber from Burma (also known as Myanmar) an INHS mycologist (someone who studies fungi) "They were enveloped by a sticky tree resin and preserved as the resin fossilized "This is a much more likely scenario for the preservation of a mushroom given the mushroom fossil record to date." In fact, there are only 10 fossils resembling modern-day gilled mushrooms on record These include four unnamed mushrooms from Burmese amber a 94-million-year-old mushroom (Archaeomarasmius leggetti) from New Jersey a 45-million-year-old mushroom (Gerontomyces lepidotus) from the Samland Peninsula of Russia Coprinites dominicana and Protomycena electra) from the Dominican Republic that date to between 16 million and 18 million years ago The study was published online today (June 7) in the journal PLOS ONE Original article on Live Science Her work has appeared in The New York Times She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU 30,000-year-old fossilized vulture feathers 'nothing like what we usually see' preserved in volcanic ash Refuge from the worst mass extinction in Earth's history discovered fossilized in China May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon Scientists have unearthed a treasure-trove of almost perfectly formed fossilized single-celled organisms dating back more than 110 million years.  A team of researchers from the University of Exeter and University of Lausanne have found exquisitely preserved fossil prokaryotes – single celled organisms including bacteria – on fossilized bugs from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil.  Although pyritized prokaryote traces are commonly discovered in sedimentary rocks it is almost unheard-of to find them preserved in three dimensions in situ alongside larger well-preserved fossils.  The discovery could pave the way for a greater understanding of how pyritization – a process which involves the deposition of iron and sulfur into the pores and cavities of an organism – can preserve fossils.  The study is published online in the journal Geology.  The research team made the new discovery after examining previously unearthed insect fossils from the Crato Formation – which dates back to the Early Cretaceous and is located in the north-east of Brazil.  The Crato Formation is famed for its exceedingly well-preserved and diverse fossil discoveries which often reveal new insights into ecosystem evolution the scientists discovered the widespread presence of spherical microorganisms preserved on the fossils.  The research team believe that these micro-organisms inhabited the carcasses of the insects and were fossilized along with them when they reached the site of fossilization.   the study suggests the fossilisation process must have occurred exceedingly rapidly (within hours) in order for the organisms to be preserved so well.  Dr Nathan Barling described it as a “truly remarkable discovery”.  He said: “We spotted these microfossils while examining the insect fossils which were originally discarded as ‘uninteresting’ We didn’t really believe what we had found at first after three years of eliminating the alternatives it now seems most likely that these are indeed immaculately preserved fossils of prokaryote micro-organisms these bacteria were resting on the carcass of an insect as the carcass was washed into an ancient salty lake by a storm It then sank down to the oxygen-poor bottom of the lake where the activities of other bacteria caused the iron mineral pyrite (fool’s gold) to rapidly replace the insect carcass and its associated bacteria.”   co-author of the study added: “The Lower Cretaceous (about 113 million years ago) Crato Formation is a fossil assemblage in northeastern Brazil that yields exceedingly well preserved and diverse fossils (e.g.  “It is very rare to find fossil bacteria or other prokaryotes preserved alongside larger macrofossils This study highlights the unique diagenetic and palaeo-environmental conditions of the Crato Formation that facilitated this mode of fossilization.”   Co-author Dr Farid Saleh added: “This discovery represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of what pyrite can preserve in the fossil record We’ve previously thought that pyrite coarsely replaced tissues during fossilization These micro-fossils are very small and highly detailed demonstrating that pyritization can replicate soft tissues at the micron scale and must have occurred in hours these prokaryotes would have not been preserved.”   A unique record of prokaryote cell pyritization is published in Geology on September 12th 2023 View full archives Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A 20-year-old North Arlington man who police said barricaded himself in his apartment after throwing kitchen knives at officers responding to a disturbance Tuesday night was jailed on several charges Family members who called police allowed them into their Eagle Street apartment 110-pound Crato-Montiero “began to curse at the officers,” then “threw kitchen knives at them as they retreated to safety and removed other family [members] from the residence,” Reilly said Police set up a perimeter and sought assistance from Lyndhurst police the North Arlington Special Operations Unit and a Bergen County Regional SWAT team Crato-Montiero threatened officers who reached him by phone and said he’d hurt himself “At one point he opened a window and threw two kitchen knives and a broken chair leg out the window at officers holding the perimeter,” he said Lyndhurst police spoke with Crato-Montiero less than an hour after the standoff began He was charged with aggravated assault on police criminal mischief and various weapons charges Crato-Montiero remained held Wednesday pending a detention hearing on charges of aggravated assault on police criminal mischief and various weapons offenses the county regional SWAT team and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance Sign In Subscribe Now The Campbell River Association of Tour Operators (CRATO) has cleaned up roughly 38,031 kilograms of waste as part of their 2023/24 shoreline cleanup CRATO embarked on a cleanup of 350 kilometres of shoreline between Comox and the northern Discovery Passage after receiving funding from the Province of B.C.’s Clean Coast The initiative was started as part of the provincial government’s Pandemic Response and Economic Recovery plan during the COVID-19 crisis to help tourism operators in the province Two types of projects are supported by the CCCW “This funding not only made a significant impact on the environment in which we work but also helped struggling tour businesses keep staff and vessels working,’ Bill Coltart told the Campbell River Mirror in December of last year where CRATO anchored their headquarters (a barge) off the coast and three large shipping containers to sort garbage and clean Styrofoam Coltart said the barge was a practical way to stage store and sort debris due to the isolated area CRATO was working in They also had multiple vessels at their disposal to drop staff on the beach for cleaning up CRARO has picked up 38,031 kilometres of waste steel was the highest of any material collected between the project’s start in October and its end in late February Tires (5,009) and Styrofoam (4,109) were next Grants from the provincial government have allowed CRATO to inject $2 million back into Campbell River’s economy CRATO has been involved in the Whale Trail landmark at Ken Forde Park a juvenile humpback whale made of driftwood by Alex Witcombe approved by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) with the first focusing on general knowledge about whales and other marine life The second part focuses on tour operating and crew training and helping students with certification in marine and aquaculture awareness The Naturalist Program will be on CRATO’s website in May 2024 Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Gostaria de receber as principais notícias do Brasil e do mundo O jornal Folha de S.Paulo (1921 - 2025) é publicado pela Empresa Folha da Manhã S.A You must be logged in to post a comment La Rédac' OKL'année dernière, Waking Life est arrivé dans notre feed comme une bombe incandescente : un grand lac un line-up exceptionnel et à rallonge l'été et un vrai taf artistique derrière Mais on va où avec tout ça d'abord où se tient la deuxième édition du festival Waking Life une fête à taille humaine qui regroupe un line-up electro à la fois défricheur et sérieux.  première chose qui tape dans l'œil : l'énorme lac autour duquel les festivités se déroulent et même si le festival ne se déroule pas dans la ville ça serait dommage de ne pas la visiter l'une des plus désertiques d'Europe ce qui donne à l'ambiance générale du lieu un petit air d'exception en plus. Pour la prog' restons dans le pointu en matière de musiques électroniques Le festival est co-organisé par le label emblématique Giegling et vous pourrez donc y retrouver pas mal de leurs artistes (Edward de la techno plus rugueuse et expérimentale (Rrose des artistes assimilés à la house mais qui s'en échappent allègrement (Call Super Thomas Melchior...) ou carrément du jazz (Kamaal Williams !).  Waking Life 2018Du 15 au 18 aoûtCrato - Portugal 5 festivals pour fêter le printemps en musique  Le grand concert de cet artiste annulé au Zénith de Nantes La Fête de la musique pourrait durer une semaine entière cette année