Firefly fossils were found in Burmese amber about 100 million years ago. What kind of light would they emit?

Author: Shi Xiangqi and Li Chuanfu

Under the bright starry sky of nature, we often marvel at the tiny lives that flicker in the night - fireflies. They are like messengers of the summer night, lighting up the dark corners with their weak but firm light. However, when we turn back the hands of time to about 100 million years ago, what was the light of those ancient fireflies like?

Recently, Chinese scientists discovered an ancient firefly fossil in Burmese amber. This discovery not only opened a new chapter in the evolutionary history of bioluminescence, but also allowed us to glimpse the light of ancient life.

Ancient glory: discoveries in Burmese amber

This precious fossil is preserved in Burmese amber from the middle Cretaceous period about 100 million years ago. It represents a new genus and species of the firefly family, named He Haikun Flammarion Firefly. From the morphological point of view, this firefly is less than 1 cm long, with a pair of slender antennae and a pair of transparent wings. There is a clear light organ near the end of its abdomen, which is a bioluminescent organ unique to fireflies. This light organ is clearly visible in the fossil and is very similar to the morphology of modern fireflies, indicating that this firefly already had the ability to emit light in the Cretaceous period.

The evolution of bioluminescence

Bioluminescence, a wonderful phenomenon in nature, has always been a mystery to scientists. The latest research shows that the bioluminescence of animals first appeared at least 540 million years ago, when the marine invertebrate octocorals had evolved this ability. This discovery pushes back the time when animals evolved bioluminescence by about 270 million years.

During the long process of evolution, the functions of bioluminescence have also become diversified. From confusing and trapping prey to intimidating predators and sending signals to potential mates, bioluminescence plays an important role in nature. As one of the representatives of bioluminescence, the stability and functionality of the light-emitting organ of fireflies have been preserved during the evolution process.

The meaning of light: courtship and communication

The antennae of fireflies have obvious oval receptors at the end. The research team believes that this may be a specialized sense of smell used to find mates at night. Through detailed analysis of fossils, scientists speculate that the light organs of this type of Cretaceous fireflies may be used for both nighttime courtship and communication between individuals. This discovery enriches our understanding of the evolutionary history of fireflies and also gives us a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and formation mechanism of insect luminescence.

Humans’ Lessons from Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence has been a great inspiration to human beings, and now human beings have applied the principle of bioluminescence in many fields. From engineering applications to medical diagnosis, from chemical and physical research to agricultural monitoring, the application scope of bioluminescence technology is becoming more and more extensive. For example, bioluminescent lamps that use bioluminescent bacteria as light sources have the advantages of energy saving, environmental protection, and long life; in medicine, bioluminescence is used for disease diagnosis, such as transferring the gene of luciferase into cancer cells to track cancer cells.

Firefly fossils in Burmese amber dating back about 100 million years not only allow us to glimpse the light of ancient life, but also provide us with valuable information for exploring the evolutionary history of bioluminescence. These ancient fireflies may not shine as brightly as modern fireflies, but the role they play in the long river of evolution cannot be ignored. Their light is a witness to the evolution of life and an indispensable part of nature.

With the discovery of more fossils and the advancement of science and technology, we are expected to further uncover the mystery of bioluminescence and explore more mysteries about the evolution of life. And these ancient lights will continue to shine in human wisdom and illuminate our understanding and exploration of nature.