Talk:Alphacoleoptera

Disputed validity and affinity

According to {{Kirejtshuk et al., 2013}}, Protocoleoptera Tillyard, 1924 is actually a synonym of Protelytroptera (a stem group of Dermaptera), while according to {{Kirejtshuk, 2020}} all the early beetle families formerly included under Protocoleoptera auct. (as well as Archecoleoptera) should actually be placed under Archostemata. Monster Iestyn (talk) 05:07, 31 January 2022 (UTC)

Update: {{Cai et al., 2022}} instead establishes a new name Alphacoleoptera Engel, Cai, & Tihelka, 2022 for these beetles. However, it may be too early yet to update Wikispecies with changes in this publication, so I have not applied this name here for the time being. Monster Iestyn (talk) 15:29, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Update 2: {{Boudinot et al., 2022}} rejects the monophyly of Alphacoleoptera aka "Protocoleoptera" altogether (as well as that of Kirejtshuk, 2020's Archostemata), and suggests using instead the clades Mesocoleoptera (= Coleoptera excluding Tshekardocoleidae) and Metacoleoptera (= Coleoptera excluding Tshekardocoleidae and Permocupedidae) for the stem-group beetles. Monster Iestyn (talk) 03:49, 23 November 2022 (UTC)

References

• Boudinot, B.E., Yan, E.V., Prokop, J., Luo, X.-Z. & Beutel, R.G. 2023 (Online 2022). Permian parallelisms: reanalysis of †Tshekardocoleidae sheds light on the earliest evolution of the Coleoptera. Systematic Entomology 48(1): 69–96. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12562 . Reference page. 
• Cai, C., Tihelka, E., Giacomelli, M., Lawrence, J.F., Ślipiński, A., Kundrata, R., Yamamoto, S., Thayer, M.K., Newton, A.F., Leschen, R.A.B., Gimmel, M.L., Lü, L., Engel, M.S., Bouchard, P., Huang, D., Pisani, D. & Donoghue, P.C.J. 2022. Integrated phylogenomics and fossil data illuminate the evolution of beetles. Royal Society Open Science 9: 211771. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211771 . [Supplemental material] Reference page. 
• Kirejtshuk, A.G. 2020. Taxonomic Review of Fossil Coleopterous Families (Insecta, Coleoptera). Suborder Archostemata: Superfamilies Coleopseoidea and Cupedoidea. Geosciences 10(2): 73. DOI: 10.3390/geosciences10020073 . Reference page. 
• Kirejtshuk, A.G., Poschmann, M., Prokop, J., Garrouste, R. & Nel, N. 2014. [Online 2013] Evolution of the elytral venation and structural adaptations in the oldest Palaeozoic beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Tshekardocoleidae). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 12(5): 575–600. DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2013.821530 . ResearchGate . Reference page.