A team led by paleontologist Chenyang Cai from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a firefly fossil perfectly preserved for millions of years in golden amber. This fossil contains important clues about the clear evolutionary process of flies.
About 99 million years ago, this fly, called Flammarionella hehaikuni, attracted attention by shining in the evening. This discovery shows that the characteristic glow of fireflies had already evolved in the Mesozoic era, when dinosaurs ruled the world.
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This fossil was recorded as the second Mesozoic fly fossil to be found in the amber deposits of Kachin State in Myanmar. According to the news in Science Alert; The previously discovered Protoluciola albertalleni had perfectly preserved bioluminescence (the production and emission of light by converting chemical energy into light energy during chemical reactions, which some organisms live doing). Another bioluminescent insect is also known to be found in the same amber deposit.
What makes the new discovery so exciting is that the lantern structure of this fossil differs from other contemporary insects encased in amber. This indicates that insect bioluminescence was highly developed and diversified even 99 million years ago.
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In general, the bioluminescence of fireflies serves two main functions. To attract other firecrackers for mating and to warn the enemies of the presence of toxins. But scientists suggest that bioluminescence evolved before the appearance of these toxins, raising new questions about the function of the glow when it first appeared.
Cai and his colleagues found this fossil in Kachin State in northern Myanmar. Many fossils of bright insects have been found in the same area before. The transparent structure of amber allows you to clearly see the details of the fossil. Based on its physical characteristics, the researchers concluded that this fossil was a female specimen belonging to one of the largest firefly subfamilies known as Luciolinae, which have flashing lights on the abdomens.
However, there are also some differences. The antennae of Flammarionella are covered with hair-like structures and many of their segments have deep, oval-shaped cavities. Although such features have not been seen in living flies today, similar structures exist in other insect species. These features are related to the sense of smell of insects and play an important role in the recognition of pheromones by increasing the surface area.
Flammarionella lantern is also special. It consists of two parts that are located at the end of the abdomen of the insect. This feature provides a promising area for new studies compared to other Mesozoic bioluminescent insects.
Researchers hope to learn more about how, when and why bioluminescence evolved as the firefly fossil record expands in the future.
2024-10-20 17:54:00
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