[Syrphidae] Re: FW: syrphidae in amber

ximo mengual sanchis xmengual at gmail.com
Sun Jan 31 15:31:41 GMT 2021


Dear Frank,

There is an urgent need to revise the fossils of the family Syrphidae, not
only to know more about the past, but also to improve the knowlegde of
recent and exant taxa. Fossils are being used to date molecular phylogenies
and to study morphological synapomorphies, besides getting to know lineages
that did not reach our present time.

As far as I know, some of us have talked about this project several times,
willing to work on them, and even tryinf to get money for a postdoc. The
first thing, though, is to revise the types and the work from Hull (1945).

You can buy syrphid fossils, it is not illegal. At the ZFMK in Bonn, we
habe a large collection of dipterans in fossils (over 400 pieces); with 60
or so belonging to Syrphidae.

The current trading of fossils in amber is being critized, especially the
amber coming from Myanmar:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24232283-300-it-is-time-to-bring-global-attention-to-the-trade-in-burmese-amber/

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02432-z

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03006-9

https://asia.nikkei.com/Location/Southeast-Asia/Myanmar-amber-traps-scientists-in-ethical-dilemma-over-funding-war

There are many more webs related to this ethical (not illegal) issue.
Unfortunately, the closest inclusions to the origin of the family Syrphidae
(stem group) come out from Myanmar:
https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0090-423.1.1


We cannot ban private collectors or force everyone to deposit specimens in
a single institute. Museums have fossil collections as well as alcohol and
pinned collections, and private collectors may as well. The only
requirement of the Code is always to deposit the holotype in a public,
free-access institution to validate the new name.

Best wishes,

Ximo





El dom., 31 ene. 2021 16:06, Francis Gilbert <
Francis.Gilbert at nottingham.ac.uk> escribió:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* Frank Van de Meutter [mailto:frank.vandemeutter at kuleuven.be]
> *Sent:* 31 January 2021 15:01
> *To:* Francis Gilbert <plzfg at exmail.nottingham.ac.uk>; hoverfly
> discussion list <syrphidae at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
> *Subject:* syrphidae in amber
>
>
>
> Dear all
>
> recently I occasionally bumped into a website offering insects in amber
> for sale. There are a number of very well preserved syrphids among them!
>
> Some examples
>
>
> https://www.amberinclusions.eu/very-nice-hover-fly-syrphidae-fossil-insect-in-baltic-amber-9192
>
>
> https://www.amberinclusions.eu/hover-fly-syrphidae-fossil-insect-in-baltic-amber-7117
>
>
> https://ambercollector.com/shop-all/rare-syrphidae-flower-fly-fossil-insect-inclusion-in-genuine-baltic-amber-1019/
>
>
>
> Now I was wondering if the sale of such specimens is legal, and whether
> such fossils should be organised as they offer incredible views on the
> evolution of syrphidae.
>
> It is such a shame that all these specimens are sold and scattered around
> the world without being thoroughly researched?
>
>
>
> cheers
>
> Frank
>
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