Dr. Qvarnstrom initially thought the insects must have climbed aboard following defecation. But the researchers saw many different stages of chewed-up-ness, so to speak, from almost fully preserved bodies down to disembodied heads, wings and other parts, many from the same kind of boat-like, millimeter-and-a-half-long beetle.<\/p>\n
The researchers determined that the new species and genus, Triamyxa coprolithica, belongs to an extinct and previously unidentified family in a lineage of small beetles, Myxophaga, that today tend to live around algal mats. According to the authors, this is the first insect species described in the fossilized feces of a vertebrate animal.<\/p>\n
As for how some beetles made it through the animals gut without much damage, Dr. Qvarnstrom thinks there are a few possibilities. The beetles were tiny, and might have been accidentally sucked up en masse while congregating on a piece of algae eaten by a Silesaurus opolensis; they also seem to have been well-defended by their exoskeleton, like modern beetles. The ones who werent chewed up still probably died quickly, Dr. Qvarnstrom said. They didnt have to suffocate in the poop.<\/p>\n
Beetles are probably the most diverse group of organisms on the planet, and learning more about their early evolution could help researchers understand why that is, said Martin Fikacek, a co-author and entomologist at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan.<\/p>\n
The Triassic Period, when this coprolite was produced, is kind of a black hole when it comes to our understanding of the insect fossil record, Dr. Heads said. A beetle of the Triassic age is really a significant discovery.<\/p>\n
Learning more about the diets of these close dinosaur relatives, Dr. Qvarnstrom said, might also help researchers better understand how dinosaurs eventually became so ecologically dominant.<\/p>\n
If we want to know more about the past, he said, I think its fairly important to get all the pieces of the puzzle.<\/p>\n
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Read more from the original source: <\/p>\n
Over 200 Million Years Ago, Nature Called. It Was Full of Beetles. - The New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Qvarnstrom initially thought the insects must have climbed aboard following defecation. But the researchers saw many different stages of chewed-up-ness, so to speak, from almost fully preserved bodies down to disembodied heads, wings and other parts, many from the same kind of boat-like, millimeter-and-a-half-long beetle. Continue reading