First record of Jacobsoniidae (Coleoptera) on the African continent in Holocene copal from Tanzania: biogeography since the Cretaceous

Neither fossil nor living Jacobsoniidae are found in abundance. Derolathrus cavernicolus Peck, 2010 is recorded here preserved in Holocene copal from Tanzania with an age of 210 +/- 30 BP years. This leads us to three interesting conclusions: (1) This is the first time the family was found on the African continent, extending the family's distribution range to hitherto unknown localities. Derolathrus cavernicolus in Holocene copal from Tanzania expands the known distribution of the species, previously only recorded in the USA (Hawaii and Florida), Barbados, and Japan, both spatially and temporally. (2) All fossil specimens of the family have been found preserved in amber, which might be due to the small size of the specimens that prevents their discovery in other types of deposits. However, we here add a second aspect, namely the occurrence of this cryptic and currently scarce family of beetles in resinous environments, where they live in relationship with resin-producing trees. (3) The discovery of a new specimen from a family unknown on the African continent supports the relevance of these younger resins in preserving arthropods that lived in pre-Anthropocene times. Although we cannot demonstrate their extinction in the region, since it is possible that the family still survives in the already fragmented coastal forests of East Africa, we are detecting a loss of local biodiversity during the so-called Anthropocene, probably due to human activity.

Automated summary

This article reports a fossil of Jacobsoniidae preserved in Holocene copal from Tanzania. The discovery expands the family's distribution range and supports the relevance of younger resins in preserving pre-Anthropocene arthropods. However, human activity may be causing the loss of local biodiversity.