Insect fossil find shows water-to-land transition
An international research team has discovered a 324-million-year-old insect fossil in Texas that exhibits both aquatic and terrestrial features. The specimen, named Chosha praecursor, provides a missing evolutionary link in how insects transitioned from water to land.
Why it matters
This discovery offers direct evidence of the physiological adaptations required for early life forms to move from aquatic environments to land.
NANJING — An international team led by Chinese researchers has uncovered an early insect species dating back roughly 324 million years that displays both aquatic and terrestrial features, providing direct evidence of how insects gradually made the transition from water to land.
The fossil specimen, named Chosha praecursor , was recovered from Carboniferous strata in Texas, United States. The work was carried out by scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with colleagues from the United Kingdom, the US and Spain.
Although the insect already possessed the three pairs of walking legs typical of modern insects, its abdomen retained paddle-shaped lobes suited for swimming. The findings were published online on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in