Little bits of dragonfly history repeating exemplified by a new Pennsylvanian family

Abstract

During its 320 Myr evolution, dragon- and damselfly (Odonata) wing morphology underwent intense modifications. The resulting diversity prompted comparative analyses focusing on phylogeny. However, homoplasy proved to plague wing-related characters. Concurrently, limited benefits were obtained from considering fossil taxa, similarly impacted. Herein, we investigate two aspects particularly affected by convergence, namely the acquisition of vein-like structuring elements derived from regular cross-venation, termed conamina; and the evolution of butter knife wing shape. Conamen implementation is found to be consistently linked with vein curvature sharpening, itself generating potential breaking points. Conamina therefore likely evolved to address wing integrity issues during ever-more-demanding flight performance. Moreover, an existing conamen is likely to trigger the acquisition of further, associated conamina. As for butter knife shape, previously documented in the extinct Archizygoptera and among damselflies, we report a new, 315 Ma occurrence with the rare species Haidilaozhen cuiae gen. et sp. nov. (family Haidilaozhenidae fam. nov.), from the Xiaheyan locality (China). The repeated acquisition of butter knife-shaped wing can be related to slow speed flight and, in turn, predator avoidance. In both cases of iterated regularities, the unique ‘network-and-membrane’ wing design proper to insects is found to compose a strong, constraining factor.