Thomas van de Kamp
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View article: The evolution of cheaper workers facilitated larger societies and accelerated diversification in ants
The evolution of cheaper workers facilitated larger societies and accelerated diversification in ants Open
Trade-offs between quantity and quality are common in the organization and evolution of biological, technological, and economic systems. In social insects, shifts from solitary organisms to complex societies bring this dilemma to the colon…
View article: The olfactory bulb endocast as a proxy for mammalian olfaction
The olfactory bulb endocast as a proxy for mammalian olfaction Open
Olfaction is a critical sense for tetrapods, playing a key role in survival and reproduction by aiding in food detection, predator avoidance, and social interactions. Olfactory performance has been experimentally tested in only a few taxa,…
View article: The insect head rewound: Clarifications to the groundplan of Hexapoda (Pancrustacea)
The insect head rewound: Clarifications to the groundplan of Hexapoda (Pancrustacea) Open
The organization of the hexapod head remains a cornerstone problem in arthropod systematics, central to segmental homology, character definition, higher-level phylogeny, and functional and evolutionary morphology. Recently, Nel et al. (202…
View article: Morphology and osteo‐histology of the weigeltisaurid wing: Implications for aerial locomotion in the world's first gliding reptiles
Morphology and osteo‐histology of the weigeltisaurid wing: Implications for aerial locomotion in the world's first gliding reptiles Open
The Late Permian Weigeltisauridae are the world's first gliding reptiles, but much remains unknown regarding the anatomy of their patagium (or wing), which, in turn, confounds our understanding of their gliding mechanism and paleobiology. …
View article: The Paragenital Organ of Stylopidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) and the Functional Incorporation of the Secondary Larval Exuvia
The Paragenital Organ of Stylopidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) and the Functional Incorporation of the Secondary Larval Exuvia Open
Females of the insect order Strepsiptera are known to be traumatically inseminated. Traumatic insemination is the process of insemination by sperm transfer through a wound inflicted by the male in the female's integument, rather than by th…
View article: The Mesosoma of <i>Protanilla</i> (Leptanillinae) and the Groundplan of the Formicidae (Hymenoptera)
The Mesosoma of <i>Protanilla</i> (Leptanillinae) and the Groundplan of the Formicidae (Hymenoptera) Open
The study of ant morphology is advancing through parallel insights provided by phylogenomics—which provides a statistically robust basis for comparison and evolutionary inference—and phenomics via the application of microcomputed tomograph…
View article: The IMAGE beamline at the KIT Light Source
The IMAGE beamline at the KIT Light Source Open
The superconducting wiggler beamline IMAGE at the KIT Light Source is dedicated to full-field hard X-ray imaging applications in materials and life sciences, with a focus on high-throughput computed tomography, laminography experiments and…
View article: Morphology of mandibles of clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae): hidden diversity, sexual dimorphism, and implications for prey range
Morphology of mandibles of clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae): hidden diversity, sexual dimorphism, and implications for prey range Open
Clown beetles (Histeridae) are stable components of carrion communities, but their prey range is poorly recognised. An indirect way to deduce species’ diet is to study the functional morphology of their mandibles. The use of a multimodal a…
View article: Structure and variability in the female genital atrium of Uropodina (Acari: Parasitiformes)
Structure and variability in the female genital atrium of Uropodina (Acari: Parasitiformes) Open
Primary and secondary sexual characters of Mesostigmata are often used in species descriptions and phylogenetic analyses. The use of these characters has been focused almost exclusively on external structures. Digital 3D reconstruction bas…
View article: The cranial gland system of <i>Nasonia</i> spp.: a link between chemical ecology, evo-devo, and descriptive taxonomy (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)
The cranial gland system of <i>Nasonia</i> spp.: a link between chemical ecology, evo-devo, and descriptive taxonomy (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) Open
Nasonia is an emerging model system for investigating the evolution of complex species-specific behavioral and morphological phenotypes. For example, the male head shape differs considerably between Nasonia Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoid…
View article: Friction Coefficient Evolution of Drying Lubricant in the Joints of Beetles by Friction Force Microscopy
Friction Coefficient Evolution of Drying Lubricant in the Joints of Beetles by Friction Force Microscopy Open
Recent studies suggest that the joints of beetles and other insects comprise micro-structured surfaces in combination with lubricants. Here, we utilize friction force microscopy (FFM) to analyse the tribological properties of the femoro-ti…
View article: A new Archaeopteryx from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation at Mühlheim (Late Jurassic)
A new Archaeopteryx from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation at Mühlheim (Late Jurassic) Open
Here we describe a new specimen of Archaeopteryx sp. from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation in the Franconian Alb of Bavaria, Germany. This fossil is the third avialan specimen found in this formation. The skeleton comprises the righ…
View article: A new Archaeopteryx from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation at Mühlheim (Late Jurassic)
A new Archaeopteryx from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation at Mühlheim (Late Jurassic) Open
Here we describe a new specimen of Archaeopteryx sp. from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation in the Franconian Alb of Bavaria, Germany. This fossil is the third avialan specimen found in this formation. The skeleton comprises the righ…
View article: Unique internal anatomy of vertebrae as a key factor for neck elongation in Triassic archosauromorphs
Unique internal anatomy of vertebrae as a key factor for neck elongation in Triassic archosauromorphs Open
The Triassic was a key period in the evolution of vertebrates, and reptiles in particular, giving rise to a plethora of successful lineages, some of which are still extant. One of the groups that flourished during the early Mesozoic were t…
View article: First fossil mountain midges (Diptera, Deuterophlebiidae) and their evolutionary and ecological implication
First fossil mountain midges (Diptera, Deuterophlebiidae) and their evolutionary and ecological implication Open
We present here the first-ever fossil flies from the family Deuterophlebiidae. The recent adults have an exceptionally brief lifespan, with males surviving only two hours. Their distinctive features include a complete reduction of mouthpar…
View article: Evolution and functional implications of stinger shape in ants
Evolution and functional implications of stinger shape in ants Open
Trait diversification is often driven by underlying performance tradeoffs in the context of different selective pressures. Evolutionary changes in task specialization may influence how species respond to tradeoffs and alter diversification…
View article: Bite force transmission and mandible shape in grasshoppers, crickets, and allies is not driven by dietary niches
Bite force transmission and mandible shape in grasshoppers, crickets, and allies is not driven by dietary niches Open
Although species evolve in response to many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, frequently one factor has a dominating influence on a given organ system. In this context, mouthpart shape and function are thought to correlate strongly with die…
View article: Male genitalia, hierarchical homology, and the anatomy of the bullet ant ( <i>Paraponera clavata</i> ; Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Male genitalia, hierarchical homology, and the anatomy of the bullet ant ( <i>Paraponera clavata</i> ; Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Open
The male genitalia of insects are among the most variable, complex, and informative character systems for evolutionary analysis and taxonomic purposes. Because of these general properties, many generations of systematists have struggled to…
View article: Disparity of turbinal bones in placental mammals
Disparity of turbinal bones in placental mammals Open
Turbinals are key bony elements of the mammalian nasal cavity, involved in heat and moisture conservation as well as olfaction. While turbinals are well known in some groups, their diversity is poorly understood at the scale of placental m…
View article: Bee morphology: A skeletomuscular anatomy of <i>Thyreus</i> (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Bee morphology: A skeletomuscular anatomy of <i>Thyreus</i> (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Open
Although the knowledge of the skeletal morphology of bees has progressed enormously, a corresponding advance has not happened for the muscular system. Most of the knowledge about bee musculature was generated over 50 years ago, well before…
View article: Description of Phelene reinschmidti from Ecuador with notes on the subfamily Lophotettiginae (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae)
Description of Phelene reinschmidti from Ecuador with notes on the subfamily Lophotettiginae (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae) Open
Lophotettiginae Hancock, 1909, endemic to the Neotropics, is one of the most ill-known subfamilies of Tetrigidae. Until now, there have not been any hypothesis on its relationship with other subfamilies. Lophotettiginae comprise only two g…
View article: EntomonVR: A new virtual reality game for learning insect morphology
EntomonVR: A new virtual reality game for learning insect morphology Open
The study of insect morphology has recently benefited greatly from the emergence of new digital imaging and analysis technologies such as X-ray Microcomputed tomography (μ-CT), digital 3D reconstruction, and animation.Through interactive g…
View article: Analyzing the Tribological Combination of Microstructure and Lubricant in Beetle Joints for the Development of Environmentally Friendly Lubricants
Analyzing the Tribological Combination of Microstructure and Lubricant in Beetle Joints for the Development of Environmentally Friendly Lubricants Open
Insects optimize friction in their joints by combining microstructures with a—so far unknown—lubricant. To develop environmentally friendly lubricants, we research the sophisticated tribological system found in the joints of beetles. We ch…
View article: Visualisation of gene expression within the context of tissues using an X-ray computed tomography-based multimodal approach
Visualisation of gene expression within the context of tissues using an X-ray computed tomography-based multimodal approach Open
The development of an organism is orchestrated by the spatial and temporal expression of genes. Accurate visualisation of gene expression patterns in the context of the surrounding tissues offers a glimpse into the mechanisms that drive mo…
View article: The rediscovery of the putative ant social parasite <i>Manica parasitica</i> syn. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reveals an unexpected endoparasite syndrome
The rediscovery of the putative ant social parasite <i>Manica parasitica</i> syn. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reveals an unexpected endoparasite syndrome Open
Parasitism is ubiquitous across the tree of life, and parasites comprise approximately half of all animal species. Social insect colonies attract many pathogens, endo- and ectoparasites, and are exploited by social parasites, which usurp t…