Latest news with #paleontologists
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
236-million-year-old Triassic fossil reveals earliest known butterfly, moth scales
Paleontologists associated with different institutions in Argentina, along with a scientist from the U.K., have identified specks of scales from lepidopterans—a family of winged insects including several species of butterflies and moths—in samples of dung recovered from an excavation site at Talampaya National Park, located in the Argentina's western La Rioja Province. Digging at the national park began in 2011, revealing that the area had once served as a communal latrine used by many animals, including large plant-eaters, who returned regularly to urinate and defecate. Researchers collected dung samples from the Talampaya site and sent them to different institutions for analysis. One of these samples ended up at the Regional Center for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer of La Rioja, where the team behind this new study made the discovery. Researchers examined the sample using multiple methods and determined it to be around 236 million years old—dating to the middle of the Triassic period and just 16 million years after the end-Permian extinction, which wiped out roughly 90% of Earth's animal species. Among the contents, paleontologists found tiny scales, each about 200 microns long, which they identified as belonging to a lepidopteran. Previous research has estimated that Lepidoptera first evolved around 241 million years ago. However, until now, the oldest known physical evidence of their existence dated back only to about 201 million years ago. This left a significant 40 million-year gap between their predicted origin and the earliest fossil record, making it difficult for scientists to confirm when these insects first appeared and how they fit into early ecosystems. However, the new discovery by the team in Argentina helps fill in a key gap in the evolutionary record of Lepidoptera. It also led to the identification of what may be a previously unknown species, which the researchers have named Ampatiri eloisae. The researchers noted that, based on the age of the fossil, the newly identified species likely belonged to a subgroup called Glossata—meaning it would have had a proboscis similar to the long, tube-like mouthparts used by modern moths and butterflies to feed on liquids like nectar. During the Triassic period, forests were made up only of conifers and cycads, as flowering plants had not yet evolved. These nonflowering plants produced sugary droplets to aid pollination—small treats that would have provided an ideal food source for early insects with proboscises. It is estimated that the proboscis first appeared between 260 and 244 million years ago, soon after the mass extinction event. This suggests that the distinctive feeding structure of butterflies likely developed not from feeding on flowers, but for accessing these ancient nectar-like secretions. This key adaptation probably enabled early butterflies and moths to thrive by feeding on sugary pollination drops, ultimately setting the foundation for their future interaction with flowering plants, which wouldn't evolve until nearly 100 million years later. The study of the discovery has been published in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences
Fox News
23-05-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Texas road construction unearths 'colossal' prehistoric remains of 'big ol' animals'
A recent excavation in Texas yielded some "colossal creatures," according to local officials – and archaeologists are hopeful more will be uncovered soon. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced the discovery in a recent press release. In a statement, officials said the excavation took place in Lubbock during the environmental review for Loop 88, a proposed state highway. During the archaeological survey, diggers uncovered ancient bones dating back to prehistoric times. The remains belonged to megafauna, which are large mammals. Chris Ringstaff, a project planner with TxDOT's environmental affairs division, said that megafauna bones "[are] not unusual in the region." Ringstaff also noted that at least one giant ground sloth was identified, thanks to its distinctive tooth. "Whether all the bones are giant ground sloth or there are different animals such as mammoth or mastodon, we're not sure," he said. "Paleontologists will give us positive identification." "We're here to get the road built, but who doesn't love digging up big ol' animals?" Ringstaff added. TxDOT noted that the Lone Star State is home to many dried-out lakes called playas, which date back to the Ice Age. "In prehistoric times, animals and humans used playas as water sources and these sites can sometimes contain evidence of human activity," the press release noted. Archaeologists are still searching for small artifacts. They're also using dating techniques to determine the age of the remains. If any proof of human settlement is found, the project will be temporarily halted. "Should the site reveal human activity with megafauna from the Ice Age, it would be [the] first of its kind for a TxDOT project," the statement said. Several prehistoric bones are found in the U.S. every year. Last summer, archaeologists in Iowa unearthed a 13,000-year-old mastodon skull. Later in 2024, a New York homeowner found a complete mastodon jaw in his Scotchtown backyard.
