Prehistoric insects
Encyclopedia
Prehistoric insects are various groups of insect
s that lived before recorded history
. Their study is the field of paleoentomology. Insects inhabited Earth
since before the time of the dinosaur
s. The earliest identifiable insect is the Devonian
Rhyniognatha hirsti, estimated at . Forms similar to many modern insects had already evolved before the dawning of the dinosaur and lived alongside them and beyond up to the present day. Like today, prehistoric insects were an important part of the food chain
in their time.
The differences between modern and prehistoric varieties can be essential, and, like many other creatures of prehistory, the latter tended to be much larger than their contemporary equivalents. This size difference is thought to be due to higher atmospheric oxygen
levels (allowing diffusion
through spiracle
s over greater distances) and higher temperature
s (enhancing metabolism
).
Since insects have chitin
exoskeleton
s rather than mineral
ized bone
s, their burial
processes differ compared to the fossil
s of much larger vertebrate
s such as dinosaur
s. Many insect remains are found preserved in the hardened sap of ancient tree
s (amber
).
Examples of prehistoric insects include:
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s that lived before recorded history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. Their study is the field of paleoentomology. Insects inhabited Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
since before the time of the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. The earliest identifiable insect is the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
Rhyniognatha hirsti, estimated at . Forms similar to many modern insects had already evolved before the dawning of the dinosaur and lived alongside them and beyond up to the present day. Like today, prehistoric insects were an important part of the food chain
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
in their time.
The differences between modern and prehistoric varieties can be essential, and, like many other creatures of prehistory, the latter tended to be much larger than their contemporary equivalents. This size difference is thought to be due to higher atmospheric oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
levels (allowing diffusion
Diffusion
Molecular diffusion, often called simply diffusion, is the thermal motion of all particles at temperatures above absolute zero. The rate of this movement is a function of temperature, viscosity of the fluid and the size of the particles...
through spiracle
Spiracle
Spiracles are openings on the surface of some animals that usually lead to respiratory systems.-Vertebrates:The spiracle is a small hole behind each eye that opens to the mouth in some fishes. In the primitive jawless fish the first gill opening immediately behind the mouth is essentially similar...
s over greater distances) and higher temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s (enhancing metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
).
Since insects have chitin
Chitin
Chitin n is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world...
exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
s rather than mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
ized bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s, their burial
Taphonomy
Taphonomy is the study of decaying organisms over time and how they become fossilized . The term taphonomy was introduced to paleontology in 1940 by Russian scientist Ivan Efremov to describe the study of the transition of remains, parts, or products of organisms, from the biosphere, to the...
processes differ compared to the fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of much larger vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s such as dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. Many insect remains are found preserved in the hardened sap of ancient tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s (amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
).
Examples of prehistoric insects include:
- EobelinaeEobelinaeEobelinae are an extinct beetle subfamily that throve in the late Mesozoic. They belong to the belids or "primitive weevils" of the family Belidae. The Belidae today occur only from the Australia-New Guinea-New Zealand region to Southeast Asia, some Pacific islands, South and Central America and a...
- Eriocampa tulameenensisEriocampa tulameenensisEriocampa tulameenensis is an extinct species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae that is known from early to early middle Eocene lake deposits near the small community of Princeton, British Columbia in the Similkameen region....
- Fibla carpenteriFibla carpenteriFibla carpenteri is an extinct species of snakefly in the Inocelliidae genus Fibla. F. carpenteri is named in honor of the paleoentomologist Dr Frank Carpenter, for his vast knowledge and interest in Raphidioptera....
- Leptofoenus pittfieldaeLeptofoenus pittfieldaeLeptofoenus pittfieldae is an extinct species of wasp in the family Pteromalidae known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola...
- MeganeuraMeganeuraMeganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period approximately 300 million years ago, which resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies. With wingspans of more than 75 cm , M. monyi is one of the largest known flying insect species; the Permian Meganeuropsis...
- MesojassoidesMesojassoidesMesojassoides is a genus of extinct leaf hopper from the Late Cretaceous, approximately 70-65 million years ago, Fox Hills Formation. The genus contains a single species Mesojassoides gigantea, described from a fore wing found in 1932 by C.H. Dane and W. G. Pierce in Adams County, Colorado. ...
- MicroberothaMicroberothaMicroberotha is an extinct monotypic genus of "beaded lacewing", family Berothidae; order Neuroptera with the single species Microberotha macculloughi...
- PalaeodictyopteroideaPalaeodictyopteroideaThe Palaeodictyopteroidea or Paleodictyopterida are an extinct superorder of Palaeozoic beaked insects, characterised by unique mouthparts consisting of 5 stylets. They represent the first important terrestrial herbivores, and the first major group of herbivorous insects...
- Prodryas persephoneProdryasProdryas persephone is an extinct butterfly, known from a single specimen from Eocene rocks. It was the first fossil butterfly to be found in North America, and is unusually well preserved...
- Raphidia funerataRaphidia funerataRaphidia funerata is an extinct species of snakefly in the Raphidiidae genus Raphidia. The name R. funerata is derived from the Latin funeratus meaning to "bury" or "intern". The species is known from a single female specimen, the holotype, deposited in the Department of Palaeontology at the...
- RhyniognathaRhyniognathaRhyniognatha hirsti is the world’s oldest known insect. It emerged very early during the Early Devonian Period, around 400 million years ago, when earth’s first terrestrial ecosystems were being formed.-Evidence:...
- TainosiaTainosiaTainosia is an extinct monotypic genus of planthopper in the Nogodinidae subfamily Nogodininae and at present, it contains the single species Tainosia quisqueyae...
- Termitaradus mitnickiTermitaradus mitnickiTermitaradus mitnicki is an extinct species of true bug in the family Termitaphididae known only from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola....
- Pseudosiobla campbelli
- Protosialis cascaProtosialis cascaProtosialis casca is an extinct species of alderfly in the Sialidae subfamily Sialinae. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola...
External links
- Insects in the Age of Reptiles
- Insect Fossils A timechart and evolutionary history
- International Palaeoentomological Society
- Palaeoentomology in Russia in both English and Russian