High quality specialist natural history books

This page details the recent and current research of

Dr David Penney FRES

Research interests

My research interests focus on extant and fossil spiders and insects. They cover a broad spectrum taxonomically, geographically, geologically and theoretically. They include: extant and fossil spider taxonomy and systematics; evolutionary history of spiders; the qualitative and quantitative use of data in testing hypotheses of palaeoecology and palaeogeography; preservation bias of organisms preserved in amber; reconstruction of fossil ecosystems; the effects of mass extinctions on terrestrial invertebrate faunas; the timing of the radiations of the major extant spider families; the completeness versus the adequacy of the spider fossil record; predator–prey co-evolutionary processes; and the origins and current biodiversity of the Greater Antillean spider fauna. I am particularly interested in the application of amber derived data in quantitative palaeobiological studies of broad interest and am also steadily becoming more involved with palaeoentomology (fossil insects). Some research highlights include demonstrating that amber is biased to preserving active, trunk-dwelling faunas (Paleobiology 2002), that spiders survived the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event (Evolution 2003), that spiders co-radiated alongside their insect prey over geological time (Trans. R. Soc. Edinburgh, Earth Sci. 2004), that extant and fossil Hispaniolan spider assemblages are directly comparable (Palaeo3 2005) and have South American origins (Book: Dominican Amber Spiders, 2008), that different amber faunas retain ecological information and are directly comparable in this respect (Royal Society, Biology Letters 2006), description of the oldest orb-weaving spider (Royal Society, Biology Letters 2006), the novel application of VHR computed tomography to amber inclusions (Zootaxa 2007, 2011; Naturwissenschaften 2011; Royal Society, Biology Letters 2011) and a full review of the amber and non-amber spider fossil record (Biological Reviews, 2010). I am also interested in extant faunas. Recent research focusing on the biodiversity of The Gambia, West Africa has resulted in three popular guide books. Shortly I will be embarking on a short project to attempt DNA extraction from subfossils in copal (with Terry Brown and Richard Preziosi) using next generation sequencing techniques.

Some of the new species discovered and described by David Penney (and colleagues)

 

LINKS TO MY RESEARCH IN THE NEWS

Smallest amber fossil to be scanned using computed tomography

Imaging technology reveals intricate details of 49 million-year-old spider

New insect species named after Rochdale toddler

Your chance to live forever in spider form

BBC Earth News: name a new species

BBC News: tiny fossil spider digitally dissected

New spider species named after Alberta

Amber reveals ecology of 30 million-year-old spiders

Oldest true orb-web weaving spider found

National Geographic: Fossilized spider blood discovered

Guinness World Records oldest spider in amber

 

Recent publications by David Penney

BOOKS

Penney, D. (2008) Dominican Amber Spiders: a comparative palaeontological-neontological approach to identification, faunistics, ecology and biogeography, 178 pp. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester. The most authoritative book on Dominican amber spiders (see reviews on home page)

 

Penney, D. (ed.) (2010) Biodiversity of fossils in amber from the major world deposits, 304 pp. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester. Synthesis contributions from leading world experts on their deposit of expertise...a must for anybody interested in amber. CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

Penney, D. & Selden, P.A. (2011) Fossil Spiders: the evolutionary history of a mega-diverse order, 128 pp. Monographic Series, Volume 1. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester. The first ever book devoted to fossil spiders in general, written by the leading world experts. CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

Penney, D. & Green, D. (2011) Fossils in amber: snapshots of prehistoric forest life, 226 pp. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester. A guide to all orders likely to be encountered in amber accompanied by remarkable, full page colour photos of amber fossils. CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

Dunlop, J.A. & Penney, D. (2012) Fossil Arachnids, 192 pp. Monographic Series, Volume 2. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester. The first ever book providing a comprehensive overview of fossil arachnids, written by the leading world experts.

 

Penney, D. (ed.) (in prep. for 2012/3) Spider research in the 21^st century. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester.

 

Penney, D. & Jepson, J.E. (in prep. for 2013) Fossil Insects. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester.

  

SELECTED SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

 

Penney, D., Green, D.I., Titchener, S.B, Titchener, B.G., Brown, T.A. & Preziosi, R.F. (2012) An unusual palaeobiocenosis of (sub)fossil spiders in Colombian copal. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society, XXXX: XXXX–XXXX.

Zytynska, S.E., Fay, M.F., Penney, D. & Preziosi, R.F. (2011) Genetic variation in a tropical tree species influences the structure of associated epiphytic plant and invertebrate communities in a complex forest ecosystem. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B., 366, 1329–1336.

Penney, D., McNeil, A., Green, D.I., Bradley, R., Marusik, Y.M., Withers, P.J. & Preziosi, R.F. (2011) A new species of anapid spider (Arthropoda: Araneae, Anapidae) in Eocene Baltic amber, imaged using X-ray computed tomography. Zootaxa, 2742, 61–68.

Penney, D. (2011) Grandoculidae: a new fossil spider family from the Upper Cretaceous of Canada. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society, 15, 179–180.

Dunlop, J.A., Penney, D., Daluge, N., Jager, P., McNeil, A., Bradley, R., Whithers, P.J. & Preziosi, R.F. (2011). Computed tomography recovers data from historical amber: an example from huntsman spiders. Naturwissenschaften, DOI 10.1007/s00114-011-0796-x. Selected as cover article

Dunlop, J.A., Wirth, S., Penney, D., McNeil, A., Bradley, R.S., Withers, P.J. & Preziosi, R.F. (2011) A minute fossil phoretic mite recovered by X-ray computed tomography. Biology Letters, doi 10.1098/rspb.2011.0923.

Jepson, J., Penney, D. & Green, D.I. (2011) First fossil Phatnoma (Heteroptera: Tingidae: Cantacaderinae), in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. Zootaxa, 2975, 59–63.

Penney, D. (2010) The evolution of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae): the palaeontological evidence. Peckhamia, 18.1, 1–3.

Penney, D. & Langan, A.M. (2010) Morphometric identification of fossils spiders: comment. Paleontological Journal, 44, 644–648.

Jepson, J., Penney, D. & Green, D.I. (2010) A new species of brown lacewing (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) from Eocene Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 2692, 61–68.

Saupe, E.E., Selden, P.A. & Penney, D. (2010). First fossil Molinaranea (Araneae: Araneidae), from Middle Miocene Dominican amber, with a phylogenic and paleobiogeographic analysis of the genus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 158, 711–725.

Selden, P.A. & Penney, D. (2010) Fossil spiders. Biological Reviews 85, 171–206.

Penney, D. (2009) A new spider family record for Hispaniola a new species of Plectreurys (Araneae: Plectreuridae) in Miocene Dominican amber. Zootaxa, 2144, 65–68.

Penney, D., Dierick, M., Cnudde, V., Masschaele, B., Vlasssenbroeck, J., Van Hoorebeke, L. & Jacobs, P. (2007) First fossil Micropholcommatidae (Araneae), imaged in Eocene Paris amber using X-Ray Computed Tomography. Zootaxa, 1623, 47–53.

Jepson, J.E. & Penney, D. (2007) Neuropteran (Insecta) palaeodiversity with predictions for the Cretaceous fauna of the Wealden. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 248, 109–118.

Penney, D. & Langan, A.M. (2006) Comparing amber fossils across the Cenozoic. Biology Letters 2, 266–270. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0442

Penney, D. & Ortuño, V.M. (2006) Oldest true orb-weaving spider (Araneae: Araneidae). Biology Letters 2, 447–450.

Penney, D. (2005) Fossil blood droplets in Miocene Dominican amber yield clues to speed and direction of resin secretion. Palaeontology 48, 925–927.

Platnick, N.I. & Penney, D. (2004) A revision of the widespread spider genus Zimiris (Araneae, Prodidomidae). American Museum Novitates 3450, 1–12.

Penney, D. (2004) Does the fossil record of spiders track that of their principal prey, the insects? Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Earth Sciences 94, 275–281.

Penney, D., Wheater, C.P. & Selden, P.A. (2003) Resistance of spiders to Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction events. Evolution 57, 2599–2607.

NEW ANCIENT DNA extraction project starting in May 2012 

Attempts in the 1990s to obtain DNA sequences from insects in amber have been shown to have been unsuccessful as a result of an inability to replicate them. Nonetheless, theoretical and empirical data indicate that ancient DNA fragments might be present in well preserved material upto 100,000 years old. This age range includes subfossil resins called copal. We will be using next generation 454 sequencing in order to avoid the non-specific amplification of contaminant DNA and so that small fragments can be accessed. The work will be conducted on fabulously preserved insects in subfossilized Colombian copal...and if successful we will reattempt extraction from older fossil resins such as Dominican amber. If this proves possible it will have significant implications for phylogenetics and conservation genetics. In many cases there are multiple inclusions of individual species raising the possibility of estimating genetic diversity from ancient samples.

Termitodius beetles (Scarabaeidae) with their Coptotermes termite (Rhinotermitidae) hosts in Colombian copal

My research into amber palaeobiology takes considerable time and expense, and is unsalaried (apart from two months for our new DNA extraction project). Philanthropists are welcome to make a donation to assist with the conflicting interests of scientific progress and supporting a wife and daughter...many thanks. If you would like to know more about what I do please feel free to email me!

I am particularly grateful to Dr Dmtiri Logunov of the Manchester Museum Entomology Department, who provides access to facilities and literature, which assist me greatly during my research.

Computed tomography is revolutionizing the way in which we can research fossils in amber. Below is a recent reconstruction based on CT scans we made at the University of Manchester. This new species was described in the scientific journal Zootaxa in 2011.

To have a biological or fossil species named after you is the ultimate accolade in the natural sciences. It is normally reserved for famous researchers who have made huge contributions to research. It is the scientist who discovers a new species who gets to name it. None of the research I do recieves any funding whatsoever, so in order to continue I need to generate a revenue. Occasionally I discover new species, which require formal description and naming, but this is by no means a common occurrence. If you would like to sponsor my research (£750) and have a new fossil amber species named after you or somebody/something of your choice then please email david.penney@manchester.ac.uk and put 'new species name' in the subject box. At present I have the following new species available and the names will be issued on a first come first served basis (all papers are written and ready for submission):

Baltic amber spider - Anapidae (as in the movie above) - taken

Baltic amber lacewing - Hemberobiidae - taken

Dominican amber spider - Theridiidae - taken

Dominican amber lace bug - Tingidae - taken

Dominican amber fly - Empidoidea

Dominican amber wasp - Figitidae

Dominican amber cricket - Gryllidae - taken

To see images of some of the above new species please click here: BBC Earth News: name a new species

Note that this offer is for £750 NOT £5,000 as per the above link. Thank you.