Abstract
Abstract This chapter explores how the extant Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are only the small remaining part of the superorder Odonatoptera. The Odonatoptera are a clade with an impressive systematic diversity and morphological disparity since the Late Carboniferous. Their fossil record is rather well known because these insects inhabit humid environments, which are favorable to fossilization. Thus it is possible to follow the evolution of the morphology of the order, especially in the evolving complexity of their wing venation. It is this evolution through time that has rendered possible for this order to acquire highly specialized structures resulting in their impressive flying capacities.
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