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Oldest Fossilized Bugs Discovered
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 14:52
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230-million-year-old insect fossils were discovered in amber by a team of paleontologists. Full Story: An international team of scientists said they have discovered the oldest bugs in the world – 230 million year-old fossils of arthropods preserved in amber. Though this would date back to the Triassic period, it is quite similar to a scene from Jurassic Park. Amber is a valuable tool for paleontologists and is used to preserve fossils with great detail. Two new species of mites and a fly are in the amber droplets, and were discovered in the Dolomite Alps of northeastern Italy. Researchers discovered that the specialized mites, from the group Eriophyoidea, are remarkably similar to modern-day gall mites, with traits such as segmented bodies, two pairs of legs as opposed to the typical four, and feather claws. The mites, each between 100 and 200m (micrometers) long, show the adaptable nature of the organisms, say the scientists. It is possible that the mites had fed on the tree that ended up preserving them. The fly was unidentifiable with only its antennae well preserved. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntdtv.org Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me
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2012-08-29 14:46:35
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LADfWUPgW5A&feature=youtube_gdata
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