Jan 14, 2021 04:28 AM EST
A strange or rather bizarre-looking beetle has been discovered by researchers from a one hundred million years old Burmese amber, collected in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar.
(Photo : Egor Kamelev)
The strange beetle bears an uncanny resemblance to a combination of fungi, moss, and lichens which make for excellent cover and protection from predators. The cylindrical bark beetle is now a new genus and specie described by George Poinar Jr., a study co-author, entomologist and a paleobiologist at Oregon State University.
The outlandish creature is a master of disguise as it uses moss, lichens, and fungi to hide since it can t run away or beat its enemies. This makes a lot of sense to Poinar, a global expert in using animal and plant life forms heavily preserved in amber, to learn more about the ecology and biology of the distant past.
oregonstate.edu
oregonstate.edu
oregonstate.edu
Poinar said that despite being so small, the ancient flower displayed amazing details. Our specimen was probably part of a cluster on the plant that contained many similar flowers, some possibly female, said the lead researcher. According to him, the male flower is tiny almost two millimeters across and it has some 50 stamens that look like a spiral, with anthers pointing toward the sky.
West Burma Block
Over the past few decades, the investigation of the amber deposits in Myanmar by Poinar has revealed a large variety of ancient organisms. The amber was discovered in a region which is known as West Burma Block. This geographical area was once a part of the ancient continent known as Gondwana. But the research conducted by Poinar is now questioning traditional geological timelines suggesting that the West Burma Block broke away from Gondwana somewhere between 200 and 500 million years ago.
The latest amber time capsule discovery comes from Oregon State University researchers who have identified a completely new, previously unknown genus and species of flower dating back 100 million years to the mid-Cretaceous period.
Oregon State’s Year in Science
December 26, 2020
Coming out of a year in which new technology was used to create a first-ever vaccine, it’s to be expected that scientific progress abounds. In the backyard of every Corvallisite sits a university where these breakthroughs can be developed and seen in use every day. Here is a list of the top discoveries to come out of Corvallis in 2020.
No. 1: Electronic Noses
Assistant professor of chemical engineering Cory Simon led research into the development of an electronic nose that allows for the monitoring of air quality. The goal is to detect safety threats and diagnose diseases which can be measured by the gases in a patient’s breath. Collaborating with engineering professor Chih-Hung Chang, the research focused on materials known as metal-organic frameworks, which have pores that can selectively absorb gases – much like a sponge.