Species definition and delimitation is a non-trivial problem in evolutionary biology that is particularly problematic for fossil organisms. This is especially true when considering the continuity of past and present species, because species defined in the fossil record are not necessarily equivalent to species defined in the living fauna. Correctly assigned fossil species are critical for sensi...

Time calibration derived from the fossil record is essential for molecular phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. Fossil mice and rats, discovered in the Siwalik Group of Pakistan, have served as one of the best-known fossil calibration points in molecular phylogenic studies. Although these fossils have been widely used as the 12 Ma date for the Mus/Rattus split or a more basal split, conclusiv...

In this paper a new species of fossil ground-beetle, Coptodera elektra n. sp. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) preserved in a piece of Baltic amber (Eocene) is described and the paleobiology of the species is studied. This new species represents the first known fossil record for the genus, as well as the first record of its presence in Europe.