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Lepidoptera in cretaceous amber.

M R Mackay

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |January 23, 1970
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The first fossil evidence of Lepidoptera, a moth or butterfly, from before the Tertiary period was found. This discovery consists of a larval head capsule preserved in Cretaceous Canadian amber.

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    Area of Science:

    • Paleontology
    • Entomology
    • Fossil Research

    Background:

    • The order Lepidoptera, encompassing moths and butterflies, is known primarily from the Tertiary period onwards.
    • Previous fossil records for Lepidoptera were limited, lacking definitive evidence from earlier geological eras.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To report the discovery of a significant lepidopteran fossil.
    • To establish the presence of Lepidoptera in the Cretaceous period.

    Main Methods:

    • Excavation and analysis of fossilized remains.
    • Microscopic examination of inclusions within Canadian amber.

    Main Results:

    • Identification of a well-preserved head capsule belonging to a lepidopteran larva.

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  • Confirmation of the fossil's origin in Cretaceous-period Canadian amber.

    • Conclusions:

    • This finding represents the earliest fossil evidence of Lepidoptera to date.
    • It pushes back the known fossil record of Lepidoptera into the Cretaceous period, predating the Tertiary.