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The Hirmoneura Messelense fly fossil discovered by international scientists. Fridgeir Grímsson, a botanist from the University of Vienna who led the way in finding fossils of fly species. In the old lake sediments at Messel Pit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany.
Scientists managed to find a fossil fly 47 million years old with a distended stomach. For the first time operating on the stomach of an ancient fly. This is to be able to find out what is in his stomach.
The discovery of the Hirmoneura Messelense fly fossil
The discovery is certainly an unexpected one, which is an important ingredient for research. In the stomach of the fossil insect, pollen from various plants were detected. Certainly that allows rare insights into feeding behavior and ecology. In addition, the role of flies as pollinators.
It was not only the fly itself that caught the attention of scientists, but its distended stomach. This shows that the fly still has its last meal.
After performing surgery, it was true that the fly’s stomach was full of pollen. The discovery is the first evidence that these ancient species ate microspores. Apart from that, there are also some subtropical plant species.
Quoting Science Alert, the new fossil represents a new species of ancient short proboscis fly or hirmoneura messelense. Surely a fly that appears to be very fond of pollen. The pollen content in the fly’s stomach indicates that the animal has eaten it.
Apart from that, it also transports pollen 47 million years ago. Thus, showing that flies have an important role in the process of dispersing pollen from a number of plant species. This is according to the explanation of Fridgeir Grimsson, a botanist from the University of Vienna.
The fossil pollen from the stomach of the Hirmoneura messelense fly is certainly useful. For example, to reconstruct the ancient environment as a house for flies. Then, for biotic interactions between plants, flies and behavior in flies during feeding.
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Flies as Pollinators
Pollination of course is usually carried out by bees, birds or butterflies. Very few flies pollinate. Therefore, these animals are considered as second pollinating insects.
Researchers had ignored the presence of a fly with a tongue resembling a trunk. Making it a potential pollen carrier. However, in fact, of the many species of flies, scientists have observed that only modern nemestrinids feed on tubular plants.
The existence of the latest fossils scientists found in ex-mines near the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Certainly it is one of the species of flies with an ancient short trunk or Hirmoneura Messelense. The animal looks like it likes pollen.
The fly is likely to have defeated the bee, which is the best pollinating insect. According to the researchers, the fossil with naturally preserved pollen was present in the stomach of the Hirmoneura Messelense fly. Of course it is very rare to find this.
The fly’s intestines and stomach, seen through a microscope, show traces of pollen from four types of plants. These include water willow and ivy trees that grow around the edge of the forest near ancient lakes.
White Willow is a sub shrub that grows in wetlands and shallow lakes. Shows open low canopy habitat. The dominance of ivy also indicates that flies feed on plants growing on forest edges. Surely that surrounds the ancient lake of Messel.
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Hirmoneura Messelense flies
The researchers saw long hairs that they could identify as setae on the flies’ chests or stomachs. Researchers also found no pollen in the fly’s hair. However, it can carry pollen when moving from flower to flower.
There are three types of pollen in the stomach of flies that scientists do not know yet. This indicates that the fly is eating different plants that may grow close together. Another thing appears to be the flies avoiding long-distance flights between food sources. Additionally, look for pollen from closely related plants.
The new findings support the old hypothesis. Flies are just as important as bees when it comes to pollinating. The fact that it found pollen in the stomachs of ancient flies suggests that it could have played an important role for insects since the Jurassic period.
The presence of the Hirmoneura messelense fly fossil clearly feeds on angiosperm pollen. This is the first direct evidence for the polynivorous nemestrinide. (R10 / HR Online)
Publisher: Jujang
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