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)

Authors

Brett C. Ratcliffe, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Dena M. Smith, University of Colorado Museum of Natural HistoryFollow
D ErwinFollow

Date of this Version

January 2005

Comments

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

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.