A deep dive into the fossil record of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae): Bayesian inferences elucidate their origin and pulsed diversification at the genus level

Journal article

Predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) are among the best‐known and most extensively studied beetle clades. Their fossil record, however, remains surprisingly sparse and uneven, failing to reflect their broad extant diversity. Consequently, the study of their evolutionary history, leveraging the fossil record, particularly their diversification dynamics, has often been limited. To overcome this issue, we used the Bayesian Brownian bridge model, which is particularly suited for clades with incomplete fossil records. Although primarily designed to estimate clade origination time, the model can also be applied to infer origination and extinction dynamics while accounting for bias due to uneven sampling. Using this model and a curated dataset of fossil occurrences covering 41 genera and 155 species of Dytiscidae, we estimated the timing of the family's origination and of each genus represented in its fossil record. Our results show an origin of Dytiscidae either during the Late Triassic (c. 220 Ma) or during the Early Jurassic (c. 190 Ma). Although these estimates are consistent with most recent time‐calibrated phylogenies, they provide additional clues for an ancient origin of the family. Following their origin, Dytiscidae diversified across the different geological epochs, probably in response to tectonic shifts and climate oscillations.

Authors: Ferreira, J; Jouault, C; Condamine, FL; Peris, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Palaeontology
• Volume: 69
• Issue: 3
• Article number: e70074
• Publication date: 2026-06-14
• Acceptance date: 2026-05-22
• DOI: 10.1111/pala.70074
• EISSN: 1475-4983
• ISSN: 0031-0239
• Language: English
• Keywords: origination; dating; Bayesian Brownian bridge; fossil record; evolution