M. Koch

Morphology of the Devonian mandibulate arthropod Rhyniognatha and its implications for the timing of insect evolution

Insects are phenomenally diverse, yet their evolutionary origins remain poorly understood. The fossil Rhyniognatha hirsti from the Early Devonian Rhynie chert (ca. 408 Ma) has been widely accepted as the earliest insect and a crown-group pterygote (flying insect), based on the interpretation of short, dicondylic...