The associated evolution of raptorial foreleg and mantispid diversification during 200 million years.
Dahang LaiPeichao ChenShumin LiXianzhe XiangHaohong OuNuoyao KangJingtao YangHong PangChungKun ShihConrad C LabandeiraDong RenQiang YangChaofan ShiPublished in: National science review (2023)
Mantispidae have developed multidimensional specializations of predation that are leveraged by trade-offs involving attack properties, which is revealed by interdisciplinary analyses of phylogeny, morphometrics, and mechanical modeling. The lineage diversification was stimulated by its raptorial foreleg evolution, and was influenced by the ecosystem of corresponding periods, involving biotic and physical factors.