A pair of paleontologists at The Open University, working with a colleague from the National Museum of Scotland, have identified a new species of ancient cockroach excavated from a site in Gloucestershire, U.K. In their paper published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, Emily Swaby, Angela Coe and Andrew Ross describe where the fossil was found, its condition, and where it fits in the cockroach family tree.
Prior research has shown that cockroaches play an important role in cycling nutrients back into the environment in many types of ecosystems. They are also a major source of food for many species, including mammals, bird species and reptiles.
Prior research has also shown that cockroaches first appeared as far back as the Bashkirian Age (approximately 323 to 315 million years ago), and from that time onward have been constantly evolving and diversifying.
In this new effort, the researchers undertook a study of a cockroach specimen found in 1984 by paleontologist Mike Simms. Since that time, it has been housed at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.
Upon discovery of the cockroach fossil, the researchers took stereoscopic pictures using a variety of lighting techniques. They also took both wet and dry images using ethanol. Other images were taken using UV lights.
The images were used for direct study purposes and to conduct virtual stacking operations using specialized software. The research team also made line drawings of the wing to highlight air flow along the wing and better understand how the ancient insect might have flown.
The researchers identified a new species of cockroach from the Toarcian age, during the early part of the Jurassic, approximately 180 million years ago. They named it Alderblattina simmsi.
Its most distinguishing features are its small size and unique wing coloring. They note that A. simmsi is only the second species of cockroach from the Toarcian to have wing coloring patterns. They assigned the newly found species to the Rhipidoblattinidae family. They suggest the finding offers a glimpse into a pivotal point in time for wing coloration in Mesozoic cockroaches.
More information: Emily J. Swaby et al, A new cockroach (Blattodea, Rhipidoblattinidae) from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Alderton Hill, Gloucestershire, UK, and the earliest likely occurrence of aposematic colouration in cockroaches, Papers in Palaeontology (2024). DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1598
Journal information: Papers in Palaeontology
© 2024 Science X Network