Ancient beetle species is the first found in fossilized poop

6 Jul 2021

Ancient beetle species is the first found in fossilized poop

Ancient beetle species is the first found in fossilized poopThe beetle is a type of insect. Beetles are part of the order Coleoptera. This order has about 400,000 species and is the largest of all orders on Earth. So, it's no surprise that new beetles are discovered quite often.

However, this is the first time that scientists have found a new beetle species in fossilized poop (also known as coprolites)!

This new type of beetle lived 230 million years ago. They found it in the fossilized poop of a dinosaur-like animal. Scientists have named the beetle Triamyxa coprolithica. It is also the first species to be first discovered from fossilized faeces (poop).
How did they find it?
In this study, scientists used an X-ray machine to scan a piece of coprolite believed to be from the Triassic period (about 230 million years ago). The poop was made by Silesaurus opolensis, a beaked dinosaur-like animal.

Then, they made a 3D model of the scan. On doing this, they found well preserved, nearly complete insects just 1.4 millimetres long. Scientists believe that this extinct beetle was likely part of a group known as Myxophaga. These were small beetles that lived on algae in wet areas.

Such studies help us learn more about the food and environment of the animals that lived at that time. It can also help scientists learn more about insect evolution.

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The beetle is a type of insect. Beetles are part of the order Coleoptera. This order has about 400,000 species and is the largest of […]

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