An exceptional find.
Researchers from Japan discover a cockroach in amber with huge eyes – it is 100 million years old.
Scientifically, the insect is known under the name Huablattula hui.
In 2019, the cockroach fossil was described for the first time.
But it’s the first time researchers have taken a closer look at her eyes.
According to Ryo Taniguchi, the lead researcher on the study from The Science of Nature journal, the cockroach is remarkably well preserved.
Because animals’ sense organs are often adapted to specific lifestyles, scientists can learn a lot about the quirks of extinct insects.
But examining the sensory organs also poses a challenge, since their sensitive eyes and feelers are rarely well preserved in fossil form.
According to Taniguchi, they are too tiny and fragile. Fossils in amber are very valuable to researchers. Amber can immediately preserve the tissue of the insects in it and thus keep it well.
But what distinguishes this ancient cockroach in amber from today’s creepy crawlies?
Modern cockroaches are nocturnal crawling animals and therefore have underdeveloped eyes. But they feel with highly sensitive touch sensors on their feelers.
In comparison, this animal has well-developed compound eyes, but only a fraction of the tactile sensors of its modern counterparts. Presumably, the large eyes helped her in her search for food during the day.
Scientific investigations lead to extraordinary discoveries and show how life on earth is changing.