Scientists have discovered a new species of insect in Burmese amber, which they have named "Cretodorus noonoo". This insect lived about 99 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied these fossils, examining a total of 13 specimens of ancient cicadas from the family "Neazoniidae", preserved in amber from Myanmar.
The ancient cicada had an unusual proboscis, nearly twice the length of its body. Unlike the needle-like mouthparts of its modern relatives, its proboscis was covered in transverse folds. These folds acted like the ripples in a vacuum cleaner hose, allowing the proboscis to bend without breaking.
Scientists hypothesized that the insect fed on tree sap. Its flexible proboscis would slip into narrow cracks in the bark, while two lobes at its end would open and hold it in place like an anchor.
Researcher Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou said: "The discovery of 'No-No' gives us an extraordinary view of the insect world in the age of dinosaurs. It is not just a species unknown to science, but an animal that possesses an evolutionary solution that has almost no modern equivalent, which is a long, flexible, and robust feeding organ that may have enabled it to reach food deep within the bark."
According to him, the emergence of similar adaptations in several insect groups in the Cretaceous period shows how different ancient forest ecosystems were from modern ones.
what is your opinion on this news ?do let us know in the comments on tha comment box
if you liked this news article please share on friends & family & don't forget to follow on website & social media