Gigatitan

Gigatitan; Temporal range: Ladinian-Carnian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	reconstruction of G. vulgaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	†Titanoptera
Clade:	†
Genus:	†Gigatitan; Sharov, 1968
Type species
	Gigatitan vulgaris; Sharov, 1968
Species
	G. extensus Sharov, 1968; G. magnificus Sharov, 1968; G. vulgaris Sharov, 1968;
Synonyms
	G. vulgaris G. curtis Sharov, 1968; G. ovatus Sharov, 1968; G. similis Sharov, 1968;

Gigatitan is an extinct genus of titanopteran insect that lived in Kyrgyzstan during the Triassic period. The type species is G. vulgaris, described by Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov in 1968.^[1] Fossils of Gigatitan have been found in the Madygen Formation.^[2] In life, Gigatitan was a mantis-like predator with a wingspan of approximately 33 centimetres (13 in). Its forelimbs were similarly enlarged and bore spines for prey capture.^[3] The ovipositor of Gigatitan bore sharp cutting ridges. These were likely used to excise holes in plant matter for oviposition, similar to some modern Orthoptera.^[4] It is the type genus of the family Gigatitanidae, in which the closely related and are also included.^[1]^[5]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Béthoux, O. (2007). "Cladotypic Taxonomy Applied: Titanopterans are Orthopterans". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 65 (2): 135–156. ISSN 1863-7221. S2CID 8775265.
^ Gigatitan at Fossilworks.org
^ Grimaldi, D. (2009). "Fossil Record". In Resh, V.H.; Cardé, R.T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Academic Press. pp. 396–403. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00114-4. ISBN 978-0-12-374144-8.
^ Bethoux, O.; Galtier, J.; Nel, A. (2007). "Earliest Evidence of Insect Endophytic Oviposition". PALAIOS. 19 (4): 408–413. doi:10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0408:EEOIEO>2.0.CO;2.
^ Gorochov, A.V. (2007). "The first representative of the suborder Mesotitanina from the Paleozoic and notes on the system and evolution of the order Titanoptera (Insecta: Polyneoptera)". Paleontological Journal. 41 (6): 621–625. doi:10.1134/S0031030107060056. ISSN 1555-6174. S2CID 85364942.

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[bethouxtaxonomy-1] Béthoux, O. (2007). "Cladotypic Taxonomy Applied: Titanopterans are Orthopterans". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 65 (2): 135–156. ISSN 1863-7221. S2CID 8775265.

[2] Gigatitan at Fossilworks.org

[overview-3] Grimaldi, D. (2009). "Fossil Record". In Resh, V.H.; Cardé, R.T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Academic Press. pp. 396–403. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00114-4. ISBN 978-0-12-374144-8.

[oviposition-4] Bethoux, O.; Galtier, J.; Nel, A. (2007). "Earliest Evidence of Insect Endophytic Oviposition". PALAIOS. 19 (4): 408–413. doi:10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0408:EEOIEO>2.0.CO;2.

[gorochovtaxonomy-5] Gorochov, A.V. (2007). "The first representative of the suborder Mesotitanina from the Paleozoic and notes on the system and evolution of the order Titanoptera (Insecta: Polyneoptera)". Paleontological Journal. 41 (6): 621–625. doi:10.1134/S0031030107060056. ISSN 1555-6174. S2CID 85364942.

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[2]

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Gigatitan Temporal range: Ladinian-Carnian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

reconstruction of G. vulgaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	†Titanoptera
Clade:	†
Genus:	†Gigatitan Sharov, 1968
Type species
Gigatitan vulgaris Sharov, 1968
Species
G. extensus Sharov, 1968 G. magnificus Sharov, 1968 G. vulgaris Sharov, 1968
Synonyms
G. vulgaris G. curtis Sharov, 1968 G. ovatus Sharov, 1968 G. similis Sharov, 1968