The evolutionary origin of insect wings

One of the greatest mysteries in the insect evolution is the acquisition of wings. It was wings which enabled insects to become so successful and evolve into millions of species. However, transitional forms between the apterous and winged insects have been unknown so far and several theories describing the origin of wings existed. Interesting results were recently obtained from our study of the Carboniferous fossil Carbotriplura kukalovae. This specimen found in the Kladno region was originally described as a freshwater larva of a gigantic mayfly with the body length exceeding 10 cm. This assignment was later questioned and several opinions were published regarding its systematic position. We thoroughly scrutinized the fossil and brought out the evidence that it represented a land animal; probably a missing transitional link between apterous silverfish (Zygentoma) and pterygote insects (Pterygota). According to our theory, this species was able to move through the air to a certain extent, using extended flattened side lobes of the body (paranota). This supports earlier postulated paranotal theory of the origin of insect wings and the parachute theory of origin of insect flight. Based on our findings, we elevated C. kukalovae to the ordinal rank and considered it as a putative fossil sister group of winged insects. The research was conducted by cooperating scientists from the Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS and the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart.

Staniczek A.H., Sroka P., Bechly G. (2014) Neither silverfish nor fowl: the enigmatic Carboniferous Carbotriplura kukalovae Kluge, 1996 (Insecta: Carbotriplurida) is the putative fossil sister group of winged insects (Insecta: Pterygota). Systematic Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12076