How Time Flies for Flies: Diverse Diptera from the Triassic of Virginia and Early Radiation of the Order

The most diverse and best-preserved early fauna of flies (order Diptera) is described from the Late Carnian (Late Triassic, ca. 220 Ma) of Virginia, USA. Complete flies are preserved as aluminosilicate films on very fine-grained shales from the Cow Branch Formation, which is part of the Newark Supergroup of Early Mesozoic rift basins from eastern North America. The dipteran fauna consists of eight families (one new), 11 genera (five new), and 16...