FfFfFfFF 58,062 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 A research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) has now unlocked the secrets of true colouration in the 99-million-year-old insects. Researchers gathered a treasure trove of 35 amber pieces with exquisitely preserved insects from an amber mine in northern Myanmar. The rare set of amber fossils includes cuckoo wasps with metallic bluish-green, yellowish-green, purplish-blue or green colours on the head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. In terms of colour, they are almost the same as cuckoo wasps that live today, said Dr. CAI. The researchers also discovered blue and purple beetle specimens and a metallic dark-green soldier fly. "We have seen thousands of amber fossils but the preservation of colour in these specimens is extraordinary," said Prof. HUANG Diying from NIGPAS, a co-author of the study. "The type of colour preserved in the amber fossils is called structural colour. It is caused by microscopic structure of the animal's surface. The surface nanostructure scatters light of specific wavelengths and produces very intense colours. This mechanism is responsible for many of the colours we know from our everyday lives," explained Prof. PAN Yanhong from NIGPAS, a specialist on palaeocolour reconstruction. Source Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollardays 4,195 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 2020 is really the year of seeing everyone/ everything's true colors Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
weed 78,871 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Insect don’t crack! They look not a day over 1,000,000 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doot 2 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Thanks, I hate it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicland 467 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 But for real, this was interesting to see how there is not much change in over 90 million years, especially when you think about how much other things around them adapted differently! I sent the picture to my family to make them look at the picture too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRCF29 8,230 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Gross Don't Call Me Gaga Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimisaMonster 31,073 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Wow looks like they were frozen yesterday...99 million years old...wish I look that good when I'm that age Stream my new single, 💜"Heartbeat"💜, on Spotify! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltron92 2,575 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 8 minutes ago, TimisaMonster said: Wow looks like they were frozen yesterday...99 million years old...wish I look that good when I'm that age Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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