Researchers have recently discovered a mysterious insect trapped in amber for 100 million years. Unlike other insects that ever lived on Earth, this insect has a strange appearance. Its face was like a wasp but it does not have wings, legs like a grasshopper legs and antennae resembling ants belong. Then the researchers the 'Frankenstein's creature' named Aptenoperissus burmanicus.
"When I saw the insect for the first time, I can not explain, what is that," said George Poinar Jr., a researcher from the University of Oregon as quoted by LiveScience, on Monday, October 17, 2016.
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| An ancient wingless wasp that lived during the Cretaceous Era was was recently discovered trapped in amber. The weird creature is unlike any insect known to scientists. It had the body of a cockroach, the legs of a grasshopper, the antenna of an ant and the face of a wasp. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1eztTe) |
"We could see that the insects were tough and deadly. We have to categorize it in a new family because it does not fit in with another insect families," added Poinar who also the expert of amber preserved fossils.
These strange insect specimens were found in the Hukawng valley in Myanmar. Once I found the creature, Poinar directly discuss with the experts from various backgrounds. All confused.
"Once they seen this fossil from their standpoint of expertise, they see it as something different," said Poinar.
"Its strong grasshoppers legs, then we can call it a grasshopper. Then the antennae appear like ants, a thick stomach resembles the cockroaches but the face is largely similar to wasps. We finally decided this is another kind of Hymenoptera," said Poinar. And then he put it in a new family of insects named Aptenoperissidae.
Researchers do not know more about how this strange insect life. It is not clear why these insects extinct anyway. Even so, this kind allegedly extinct because of his inability to fly. The origins of these insects still mysterious. It extinct without leaving an evolution trace. There's no known close relatives, either past or present. What a pity.! *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LIVESCIENCE]
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