Ancient trouble in paradise: Seed beetle predation on coconuts from middle–late Paleocene rainforests of Colombia

Modern Neotropical rainforests are characterized by the high intensity and host specificity with which insects feed on plants. Previous studies have shown that, during middle–late Paleocene, leaves of early evolving tropical South America were heavily herbivorized insects. Yet, less attention has been given to insect damage found fossil fruits seeds, despite specialization many disseminule predators in modern forests. Here, we present describe borings a fruit compression cf. Cocos (coconut) from Paleocene Cerrejón Formation (58–60 Ma) Colombia. We interpret as constructed palm seed beetles (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae: Pachymerina) based size, number, position, plant reaction tissue, selection. This occurrence provides earliest record an ecological interaction between palms, suggesting that this host-specific consistently maintained for several tens millions years. • A sp. fruit, Formation, evidences borings. The consistent feeding behavior bruchines (Pachymerina). represent association palms. Palm palms interacted since, at least, middle-late Paleocene.