The evolutionary history and timeline of mites in ancient soils

Klimov, P. B., Kolesnikov, V. B., Vorontsov, D. D., Ball, A. D., Bolton, S. J., Mellish, C., Edgecombe, G. D., Pepato, A. R., Chetverikov, P. E., Qixin, H., Perotti, M. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3769-7126 and Braig, H. R. (2025) The evolutionary history and timeline of mites in ancient soils. Scientific Reports, 15. 13555. ISSN 2045-2322 doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96115-2

Abstract/Summary

Acariform mites play a crucial role as primary soil decomposers, impacting the carbon cycle. However, the timing of their diversification is uncertain, with estimated dates ranging from the Precambrian (no land plants) to the Carboniferous (diverse terrestrial ecosystems). One factor affecting these time estimates is an uncertain phylogenetic position of the earliest unequivocal fossil mites from the Devonian Rhynie Chert, which have been classified in five modern families and three suborders. Here, we thoroughly examine these specimens, assign them to a single species Protacarus crani (family Protoacaridae, fam. nov., suborder Endeostigmata) and integrate this information into a time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis. Our phylogeny suggests a Cambrian basal divergence of Acariformes (508–486 Ma), coinciding with the land colonization by bryophytes. At this time, the mites’ ecological niches were probably diversified beyond the upper soil. Our study provides temporal context, improves the accuracy of fossil dating, and underscores the importance of mites’ diverse habitats and their potential roles in soil food webs.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/122301
Identification Number/DOI	10.1038/s41598-025-96115-2
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Publisher	Nature Publishing Group
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