Abstract

GARCIA-VILLAFUERTE, Miguel Ángel. First fossil record of a lapsiine (Araneae, Salticidae) in amber of Chiapas, Mexico. Bol. Soc. Geol. Mex [online]. 2018, vol.70, n.3, pp.689-708. ISSN 1405-3322.  https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2018v70n3a6.

The first lapsine jumping spider (Salticidae: Spartaeinae) is recorded from Chiapas amber, Mexico. This specimen is a new fossil species belonging to the extant genus Galianora, with an age of 23 My (Miocene-Aquitanian). This is the first lapsine in the the fossil record, a group not previously recorded in the extant spider fauna from Chiapas. The geographical range of the genus extends towards the north of the Neotropical region thanks to this fossil representative. This new species, and previous records of salticids in Mexican amber, are consistent with a radiation of Salticidae in the Neogene, with both Neartic and Neotropical implications. The presence of Galianora in amber, predicts its presence in the extant Chiapas spider fauna. Based on the fossil record, it is possible that extinct genera of spiders may still remain in the region and probably survived the geological evolution of Central America. It is also possible that Chiapas was a center of origin for several species of Araneae; therefore, it is necessary to intensify araneofaunistic studies focused on analyzing the richness and diversity of spiders in Chiapas, using phylogenetic studies (including fossil taxa) to test this hypothesis.

Keywords : jumping spider; Galianora; Simojovel; fossil.

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