Protognathinus

This article is about an extinct genus of stag beetle. For the ground beetle in the Carabidae family, formerly called the similar name Protognathus, see Pseudognathaphanus. For other, similarly named species, see Protognathus (disambiguation).

Protognathinus is an extinct genus of stag beetle from the Eocene of Europe, known from the Messel Pit in Germany.^[1] This genus is known from the single species P. spielbergi.

Protognathinus Temporal range: 49 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Scarabaeiformia
Family:	Lucanidae
Genus:	†Protognathinus Chalumeau et al. 2001
Species:	†P. spielbergi
Binomial name
†Protognathinus spielbergi Chalumeau et al. 2001

Etymology

The specific name spielbergi refers to American film director Steven Spielberg, whose film Jurassic Park the authors considered to have contributed to the revival of interest in the earth's ancient past.^[1]

Description

At 55 mm (2.2 inches) in total length, Protognathinus is one of the largest known fossil beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It is comparable to other large fossil beetles such as Cheirotonus otai and Oryctoantiquus borealis.^[2] Like other beetle fossils known from the Messel Pit, Protognathinus fossils retain the color of the exoskeleton.^[1]

The details of the classification within the family are not well understood, and it is sometimes placed in Lampriminae and sometimes in Lucaninae. Morphological similarities with early Cretaceous species Litholamprima qizhihaoi, described from the Yixian Formation, have been pointed out.^[3]

See also

• Maaradactylus spielbergi - a species of pterosaur named after Spielberg