Fossils aged 50 million years reveal the appearance of ancient insect genital organs

KOMPAS.com – Dinosaurs are not the only creatures capable of providing clues to life in the past.

Even the tiny, delicate remains buried under the right conditions can unravel the mysteries of the world millions of years after their death.

Like one of them is a fossil insect found in this ancient layer of Colorado.

As quoted from Smithsonian, Sunday (14/3/2021) this well-preserved fossil killer insect seems to be able to reveal what it looks like genitals ancient insects.

Also read: Insects Help Pollination Since 47 Million Years Ago, This Is The Evidence

Named killer insect fossils Aphelicophontes danjuddi it dates back to the time when vast lakes covered what is now part of the western United States.

Researchers say that the rare specimen, 50 million years old, still has intact genitals and can be seen in detail.

This is an important finding for science because finding direct evidence of fossil genitals is relatively rare.

University of Illinois entomologist at Urbana-Champaign Daniel Swanson explained that the genital organs of killer insects, called the pygophore, are also a critical anatomy aspect that entomologists often use to distinguish killer insects from one another.

Swanson also revealed that the genital organs are like hardened anatomical plates that surround the genitals like exoskeleton insects that protect the body.

Interestingly, though Aphelicophontes danjuddi about 50 million years old but these insects have genitals similar to those of today’s killer insects.

University of Colorado paleontologist Boulder Dena Smith, who was not involved in the study, also underlined the importance of the findings.

Insect killers are rarely found in the fossil record. Although there are more than 7000 known species of insects alive today, only about 50 have ever been found as fossils.

“Genitals are also important characteristics of insects and are often used to describe and define species, as unique as fingerprints, “said Smith.

These findings are also able to reveal ancient life.

Insects such as the new killer insects were an important part of ancient food webs because they provided a food source for many vertebrates, which can often reveal more about prehistoric habitats.

Also read: 200,000 years ago, early humans already had insect-proof mattresses

“Many insect groups have environmental requirements that are specific enough for their growth and development that can be used to provide information about past environmental conditions,” explains Smith.

“Studying insect fossils doesn’t just allow us to understand ecosystem the past but also helps us understand the evolutionary history and ecology of this important group, “added Smith.

Findings published in Papers in Palaeontology.

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