The Cigale season does not enter the east of the United States, this time with an XIV brood resurfacing for the first time since 2008. But as noisy and many as possible, this year’s swarms represent only a fraction of around 3,500 species found in the world.
Although the real cicadas (the largest of the two families of existing cicadas) are one of the most diverse groups of insects today, we do not know much about their first ancestors. But a recent fossil discovery near Frankfurt, Germany, helps to expand our knowledge of the evolution of the bug – and it seems that this is the first example Cicadinae subfamily always found. Details are explored in a study published on April 29 in the review Scientific relationships.
The 47 million year old fossil was searched by an oil shale slab in the formation of Pit de Messel. This geological deposit and the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the center of Germany dating from the Eocene era, there are approximately 56 to 33.9 million years. Almost completely preserved, its contours have an almost unprecedented level of detail for such a small insect. The newly described species has been named Eoplatypleura Messelensis and belongs to Platyplesurini group of cicadas. The discovery is made even more surprising due to the scarcity of these examples throughout paleontology. According to the team of this study, only around 44 fossils of scar are dated from the Cenozoic era to leave about 66 million years ago.
“There are very few fossils [cicada] discoveries in relation to the large number of modern species, “said the co-author of the Sonja Wedmann study.” Within this family, the Platyplesurini The group is particularly striking – it has a wide distribution and contains many different species with special characteristics. For the first time, we have now described a fossil of this group of cicadas. »»
The first known first E. Messelensis The body of the specimen measures approximately one thumb long and with a wake of around 2.68 inches. Its head is clearly compact and contains small compound eyes, as well as large anovisions with curved attack edges. Its most striking characteristic is its relatively large patterned wings.
“These models are similar to those of modern cicadas species Platyplesurini Group, who live in Woods and Scrublin, “said the paleontologist and the first author, Hui Jiang.
Jiang explained that, given the subtropical climate of the Messel region approximately 47 million years ago, the coloring of the Cicada probably completed an evolving function similar to its descendants found in similar current environments – namely camouflage.
Although the first E. Messelensis Fossil find was a woman, her Platyplesurini The group also suggests that its males could generate high buzzing mating calls similar to today’s scar.
The discovery of E. Messelensis More than simply establishing a new record as a real oldest cicada. It fills the gap on the evolutionary history of cicadas through the Cenozoic. For the future, its researchers believe that their fossil can offer a useful chronological reference for genetic studies, as well as to expand our understanding of the way in which Platyplesurini The cicadas have continued to spread and prosper until today.
“Insects represent a large part of biodiversity,” said Wedmann. “Their fossil file helps us to better understand the development of complex ecosystems and ecological interactions.”
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