Baltognathina, Brunke, Zyla & Solodovnikov, 2019

† Baltognathina View in CoL

† Baltognathus resolved as crown group Staphylinini , possibly sister to all other members of that group ( Fig. 3). The genus can be placed confidently in crown Staphylinini based on a number of morphological character states (see Systematic Palaeontology). † Baltognathus displays an interesting combination of plesiomorphic character states in crown Staphylinini and cannot be associated with any existing subtribe, including Afroquediina and Antimerina , which are discussed below. It is also substantially different from all Staphylinini currently treated as incertae sedis. For these reasons and because † Baltognathus displays a range of distinctive apomorphies, we think a new subtribe is warranted. Unlike all other Baltic amber Staphylinini , our analysis strongly suggests that † Baltognathus does not belong to the Northern Hemisphere lineage of Brunke et al. (2016). The sister of Baltognathina might be identified more confidently with a larger number of morphological characters or additional fossils, including those with male characters visible.