Latest news with #butterfly
NHK
23-05-2025
- Science
- NHK
Fossil of extinct butterfly found in Japan identified as that of new species
A fossil of a butterfly now believed extinct that was discovered in western Japan 37 years ago has been identified as that of a new species of the insect. With an estimated wing span of 84 millimeters, it is also believed to be the largest butterfly fossil in the world, drawing attention as a valuable record for tracing the evolution of butterflies. The finding by a team of Japanese researchers was published in the journal Paleontological Research earlier this month. The specimen was found in 1988 in Shinonsen Town in Hyogo Prefecture from a 2.5 million-year-old stratum and has since been kept at a local museum. The team, led by Aiba Hiroaki, a teacher at Keio Yokohama Elementary School near Tokyo, examined the fossil with a high-performance microscope. The researchers determined it was that of a new variety of butterfly based on wing and abdomen characteristics. The researchers said butterfly fossils are extremely rare because the insect's bodies and wings are fragile and buoyant, making them less likely to be preserved as fossils compared with plants and shells. The species, no longer found in Japan, is believed to have gone extinct. The researchers said it belongs to the Tacola genus. A related species in the group is known to exist in subtropical and tropical zones in Southeast Asia. Aiba said that while fossils serve as proof in considering the evolution of creatures, butterfly fossils are extremely rare and limited worldwide. He added that the discovery of the world's largest butterfly fossil is scientifically highly valuable.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Butterfingers
Look, you've felt happy before But it's always had butterfly wings Never a tangible thing; And you've caught it once or twice, But you wouldn't say you know it personally It never stayed long enough for that Like a hookup you occasionally meet. It always lingers just for a moment, Before it slips from your fingers like water. Look, you've felt happy before But it's always had butterfly wings; It's eluded you for years. You wouldn't know joy if it was the wind in the air Or the last-night leftovers in Tupperware Or the smell of shampoo in her hair Or the pills you were meant to take but got too scared. You wouldn't know joy if it crawled up And laid in your lap And ran its soft hand up your side. You wouldn't know joy if it screamed tears in your face And slammed the door without goodbye. Look, you've felt happy before But it always had butterfly wings. In youth it was a slow caterpillar, Easily kept in your hands. But it slowly turned into a butterfly; So much more beautiful but harder to attain. Impossible to retain. Butterfly in butter fingers Chasing it has put you through the ringer. Look, you've felt happy before But it's always had butterfly wings; You could never win.
