The first discovery of Eomeropidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Lower Jurassic of northwestern China.

The family Eomeropidae is extremely rare, and little is known about their early history of distribution. Herein, we describe and illustrate a new eomeropid species, Jurathauma xinjiangensis sp. nov. from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation of the Junggar Basin, northwestern China, representing the first discovery of Eomeropidae in the Lower Jurassic from China. The synchronous appearance of the eomeropids in England and northwestern China indicates a basal divergence of the group in pre-Sinemurian times. Our new find adds new data about the entomological assemblage of the Tuziakeneigou section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]