 An insect, Mesophthirus engeli, crawling on dinosaur feathers preserved in mid-Cretaceous amber. | | | The tale is as old as the Cretaceous period: Dinosaurs evolve feathers. Insects evolve to eat the feathers. The dinosaur feathers get trapped in amber, along with their parasites, and paleontologists dig up the remains 100 million years later. An ancient insect of the species Mesophthirus engeli, per a report in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, had a "tiny wingless body, head with strong chewing mouthparts [and] robust and short antennae." The study authors found the insects in bits of preserved tree gunk along with damaged dinosaur feathers. The researchers suspect hungry insects were to blame for the damage. The "feather-feeding behavior of insects appeared at least as early as the mid-Cretaceous," the scientists conclude. Julie Allen, a University of Nevada at Reno evolutionary biologist who was not involved with the study, told Science magazine that the discovery was "very, very cool and very exciting for the louse community." The dinosaur parasites somewhat resemble modern lice — they have "louse-y features," Allen said — with familiar characteristics such as stubby legs that would hinder long-distance travel. Modern insects continue the tradition of affliction. (Just ask any backyard chicken farmer who has had to delouse their birds.) It's a good reminder that parasitism, whether it's practiced by mites crawling through hair or vines encircling a tree, almost always finds a way to catch up with evolution. | | | By Emily Guskin, Scott Clement and Joel Achenbach ● Read more » | | | |
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