Meganeura

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Meganeura (Ancient Greek: μέγα (large) + νευρόν (vein or nerve)) is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (about 300 million years ago). It is a member of the extinct order Meganisoptera (also known as griffenflies), which resemble dragonflies and damselflies (with dragonflies, damselflies, and meganisopterans being part of the broader group Odonatoptera). While various species of Meganeura have been named, only one is now considered valid, the type species, M. monyi. Fossils of Meganeura were first discovered in Late Carboniferous (Stephanian) Coal Measures of Commentry, France, in 1880. In 1884, French paleontologist Charles Brongniart described the type specimen and assigned it to the genus Dictyoneura. The following year, he assigned it to a genus of its own, Meganeura, a name which refers to the network of veins on the insect's wings. Several specimens have been discovered since, though all are poorly preserved and some have been reassigned to other genera. All valid...

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