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TITLE:

ORYCTOANTIQUUS BOREALIS, NEW GENUS AND SPECIES FROM THE EOCENE OF OREGON, U.S.A., THE WORLD’S OLDEST FOSSIL DYNASTINE AND LARGEST FOSSIL SCARABAEID (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE: DYNASTINAE)

AUTHOR(S):
Brett C. Ratcliffe, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Dena M. Smith, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
D Erwin

DOCUMENT TYPE: Article

Published in The Coleopterists Bulletin, 59(1):127–135. 2005. Copyright © 2005 Brett C. Ratcliffe, Dena Smith, & Diane Erwin.

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ABSTRACT:

Oryctoantiquus borealis Ratcliffe and Smith is described as a new genus and new species of fossil dynastine Scarabaeidae from West Branch Creek of the Middle Eocene Clarno Formation (44.6–46.8 Ma) of north-central Oregon, U.S.A. This specimen is the oldest specimen attributable to the subfamily Dynastinae and the largest fossil in the family Scarabaeidae.