Эрдэмтэд хув дотор хадгалагдан үлдсэн эртний цэдэнгийн чулуужсан биеийг судалснаар тэдгээр шавьж динозаврын эринд аль хэдийн гэрэлтдэг байсныг тогтоов.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн судалгаагаар Мьянмарын хувиас олдсон 98-99 сая жилийн настай цэдэнгийн чулуужсан биеийг шинжилжээ. Cretoluciola birmana хэмээн нэрлэсэн энэхүү эрэгчин цэдэн нь хэдхэн миллиметр урттай боловч биеийн бүтэц, тэр дундаа гэрэл ялгаруулах эрхтэн нь маш сайн хадгалагдан үлдсэн байна. Энэ нь цэдэнгийн гэрэлтдэг шинж чанар бараг 100 сая жилийн өмнө хэдийн бүрэлдэн тогтсоныг баталж байгаа юм.
Судлаачид уг шавьжийн ангиллыг тогтоохын тулд анатомийн 410 шинж чанар болон амьд цэдэнгийн найман бүс дэх генетикийн дарааллыг харьцуулан судалжээ. Шинжилгээний үр дүнд уг олдвор нь Luciolinae бүлэгт хамаарах нь 99.7 хувийн магадлалтай болохыг тогтоосон байна. Ингэснээр уг олдвор нь Цэрдийн галавын үед хамаарах Luciolinae бүлгийн хамгийн анхны баттай нотолгоо болж байна.
Өнөөгийн цэдэнгийн гэрэлтэлт нь хос олох, харилцах болон дайснаас хамгаалах зорилготой байдаг бөгөөд эртний цэдэн ч мөн адил үүрэг гүйцэтгэдэг байсан байж болзошгүй гэж эрдэмтэд таамаглаж байна. Гэсэн хэдий ч чулуужсан биеэс зөвхөн гэрэл ялгаруулах эрхтэн илэрсэн тул эртний шавьжийн бодит зан төлөв бүрэн тодорхойгүй хэвээр байна.
Энэхүү нээлт нь өмнө нь олдсон Flammarionella болон Protoluciola зэрэг эртний цэдэнгийн олдворуудын ангиллын талаарх асуултуудыг дагуулж байна. Одоогоор судалгаанд 34 мэдэгдэж буй төрлөөс ердөө тавыг нь хамруулсан тул цаашид илүү олон олдвор олж, орчин үеийн зүйлүүдтэй харьцуулах шаардлагатай байгааг судлаачид онцолжээ.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A tiny beetle trapped in amber 99 million years ago has revealed a surprising detail about life alongside dinosaurs: fireflies were already glowing back then. The fossil, named Cretoluciola birmana, still has a light-producing organ similar to those found in modern fireflies.
We know fireflies for the little flashes of light they produce on warm summer nights. But when did they first start glowing? Scientists have been trying to answer that question for years, with only a handful of ancient fossils to work with.
Until now, two possible firefly specimens found in Burmese amber offered some clues, but their identities weren’t entirely clear. A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences has brought much stronger evidence, revealing a firefly that lived during the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs still roamed the planet.
A Beetle Trapped for 99 Million Years
The fossil comes from Burmese amber dating back around 98–99 million years. Inside the fossilized resin, researchers found a male beetle just a few millimeters long. Despite its tiny size, the insect is remarkably well preserved, allowing scientists to make out its large eyes, thin antennae, and several features of its abdomen.
“This new taxon is characterized by large eyes, filiform antennae, six abdominal ventrites and a bipartite light organ in males.”
The insect has a two-part light organ in its abdomen, much like the structures that allow modern fireflies to produce their familiar glow. This helped researchers identify it as a member of Luciolinae, a group within the firefly family Lampyridae. They named the newly discovered species Cretoluciola birmana. For such a small insect, the fossil shows that fireflies already had recognizable light-producing organs nearly 100 million years ago.
410 Features Helped Identify It
Figuring out exactly where this creature from the amber belongs in the firefly family tree is no simple task. Scientists examined 410 anatomical characteristics of the amber fossil, along with genetic sequences from eight gene regions in living fireflies. They then compared the information to determine how the fossil was related to modern species.
According to the study, Cretoluciola birmana belongs to Luciolinae, with 99.7% bootstrap support and a Bayesian probability of 1.00. The analysis gave researchers strong evidence that they had found an ancient member of this firefly group. The fossil is now considered the first definitive Cretaceous example of a Luciolinae firefly.
The discovery also raises questions about two other ancient beetles, Flammarionella and Protoluciola. Both had previously been considered possible early fireflies, but their exact identities remain uncertain.
Fireflies May Have Lit Up Dinosaur Nights
A Cretaceous forest after dark may have sparkled with tiny flashes, courtesy of ancient fireflies. Today’s species use bioluminescence to attract mates, communicate, and warn predators, and the light organ preserved in Cretoluciola birmana suggests its ancestors may have done the same. The fossil, however, shows only the organ that made the light, so the beetle’s exact behavior remains unknown.
The discovery also resonates with modern science: luciferase, an enzyme involved in firefly light production, is used in biotechnology, forensic research, and medical imaging. Yet the evidence is thin. Only one specimen exists, and the analysis included five of the 34 known genera. More fossils and comparisons with living species are needed.
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