Bioluminescence is one of nature's most fascinating wonders, whether it's glowing fish in the deep sea or fireflies dancing on summer nights. Recently, an international study led by the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a new fossil of a firefly in Burmese amber about 100 million years ago. This opens a new window into the evolutionary history of bioluminescence.
▲ He Haikun Flammarion glittering fossil in Burmese amber. (Photo courtesy of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Cai Chenyang, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who led the study, told reporters that the newly discovered firefly fossil was preserved in Burmese amber from the Middle Cretaceous period about 100 million years ago, representing a new genus and species of fireflies.
Morphologically, this glow-fly body is less than 1 centimeter long, with a pair of elongated antennae and a pair of transparent wings. It has a distinct luminescent apparatus near the end of its abdomen, which is a bioluminescent organ unique to fireflies. This light-emitting organ is clearly visible in fossils and is very similar to the morphology of modern fireflies, indicating that this firefly had the ability to emit light during the Cretaceous period, and the light-emitting organ maintained a high stability during its evolution.
▲ He Haikun Fla Marion glows with a luminaire at the end of his abdomen. (Photo courtesy of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
In addition, the antennae of the sparkling firefly also have distinctly oval-shaped receptors at the end of their antennae. The research team believes that this may be a specialized olfactory sense, which is used to find a mate at night.
"Through detailed analysis of the fossils at this stage, we speculate that these Cretaceous glow-emitting devices may have been used for both nocturnal courtship and communication between living organisms. This discovery enriches our understanding of the evolutionary history of fireflies, and with the discovery of more fossils in the future, we are expected to further understand the evolutionary history and formation mechanism of insect luminescence. Cai Chenyang said.
The research results were recently published in the international journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of United Kingdom, Series B.
Source: Xinhua News Agency Editor-in-charge: Liu Yinghan