| Khimaira fossus Temporal range: mid-Cretaceous 100 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | †Khimairidae Chitimia-Dobler et al., 2022 |
| Genus: | †Khimaira Chitimia-Dobler et al., 2022 |
| Species: | †K. fossus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Khimaira fossus Chitimia-Dobler et al., 2024 | |
Khimaira is an extinct genus of Cretaceous tick found in Burmese amber from Myanmar, and the only member of the family Khimairidae. The genus only has one species, Khimaira fossus. The genus was named after the chimera, a creature in Greek mythology. The species, which is known from a juvenile (nymph) specimen, combines a soft body similar to those of argasid ticks with mouthparts more similar to those of hard-bodied ixodid ticks. The discovery of Khimaira fossus represents a possible missing link between soft and hard bodied ticks.
References
- ^ Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia; Mans, Ben J.; Handschuh, Stephan; Dunlop, Jason A. (May 2022). "A remarkable assemblage of ticks from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber". Parasitology. pp. 820–830. doi:10.1017/S0031182022000269. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- "The "missing link" of ticks". Museum für Naturkunde. 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- "Dunlop Lab". Museum für Naturkunde. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
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