Insect research 239-million-year-old insects discovered in Ticino
Excavations in Ticino have uncovered 248 fossil insects dating back 239 million years. Among the finds along the Gaggiolo stream near Meride is the oldest wasp found to date.
29.08.2024, 11:25
SDA
These insects from the Triassic period were brought to light during the paleontological excavations of the Cantonal Museum of Natural History of Ticino (MCSN) in Lugano between 2020 and 2023, as announced by the Ticino authorities on Thursday. They date from the time before dinosaurs dominated the earth.
The discoveries shed light on the evolution of some insect groups after the mass extinction at the end of the Permian period around 251 million years ago, according to an article in the journal "Communications Biology", to which the Ticino authorities referred.
Despite their small dimensions of between 2 millimetres and 2.5 centimetres, the fossils discovered are exceptionally well preserved, which in turn allows their morphological details to be observed.
Both freshwater groups such as dragonflies and caddisflies and terrestrial groups such as cockroaches, bugs and wasps were found. The discovery of the oldest wasp discovered to date (Magnicapitixyela dilettae) and a female cockroach with its reproductive organs preserved is remarkable.
According to the Ticino authorities, the fossil collection, which is kept in the Ticino Cantonal Museum of Natural History, makes a significant contribution to understanding the evolution of insects. It also underlines the importance of the Unesco World Heritage Site Monte San Giorgio as a place of global interest, not only for its vertebrates, but also for paleontological research in the field of insects.
