First fossil of the pseudoscorpion family Chernetidae Menge, 1855 (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) are amongst the oldest terrestrial lineages but their fossil record is still very sparse. In recent years, Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber has emerged as an important source for fossil pseudoscorpions. In this study, we extend the fossil record of the family Chernetidae Menge, 1855 – one of the most diverse pseudoscorpion families – by at least 20 million years through the description of a new genus and species, † Burmachernes gen. nov. for the new species † Burmachernes cenomanium sp. nov. from this amber deposit.

Although † Burmachernes exhibits the principle synapomorphy of Chernetidae, namely venom glands in the movable chelal finger, it is distinguished from all 121 extant genera as well as the Eocene fossil genus † Oligochernes Beier, 1937 by a unique combination of characters, including trichobothrial arrangement, chaetotaxy, and cheliceral morphology. This fossil represents a significant discovery that fills an important gap in the evolutionary history of Chernetidae, extends the temporal range of the family further back into the Mesozoic, and demonstrates that chernetid pseudoscorpions had already evolved morphological features closely resembling those of their extant relatives.