Amber fossils were marked with beetle larvae found. Courtesy of Barcelona Botanical Institute, Spain
An analysis has emerged that about 105 million years ago, beetle larvae ate dinosaur feathers.
A joint research team led by David Ferris, a researcher at the Barcelona Botanical Institute in Spain, and Ricardo Perez de la Puente, a researcher at the Natural History Museum, Oxford University, UK, published this analysis in the international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on the 18th.
The research team analyzed amber excavated in the province of Teruel in northeastern Spain. Amber is a hardened fossil made by lumps of sap from trees like rosin. Amber is considered an important research subject because it contains tissues of insects, plants, and animals.
Analysis showed that the amber contained beetle larvae. The area around the larvae was covered with fluffy feathers. The research team analyzed, “It is the remains of feces excreted by the larvae after ingestion.”
Modern beetles feed on non-perishable organic materials such as natural fibers. It plays an important role in recycling organic matter in the natural environment.
The research team said, “This study found the ecological relationship between arthropods and vertebrates in amber fossils.
