PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Earliest record of copulating insects discovered

Fossil of copulating insects discovered from Middle Jurassic period

2013-11-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kallie Huss
onepress@plos.org
415-568-3162
Public Library of Science
Earliest record of copulating insects discovered Fossil of copulating insects discovered from Middle Jurassic period

Scientists have found the oldest fossil depicting copulating insects in northeastern China, published November 6th in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dong Ren and colleagues at the Capital Normal University in China.

Fossil records of mating insects are fairly sparse, and therefore our current knowledge of mating position and genitalia orientation in the early stages of evolution is rather limited.

In this study, the authors present a fossil of a pair of copulating froghoppers, a type of small insect that hops from plant to plant much like tiny frogs. The well-preserved fossil of these two froghoppers showed belly-to-belly mating position and depicts the male reproductive organ inserting into the female copulatory structure.

This is the earliest record of copulating insects to date, and suggests that froghoppers' genital symmetry and mating position have remained static for over 165 million years. Ren adds, "We found these two very rare copulating froghoppers which provide a glimpse of interesting insect behavior and important data to understand their mating position and genitalia orientation during the Middle Jurassic."



INFORMATION:

Citation: Li S, Shih C, Wang C, Pang H, Ren D (2013) Forever Love: The Hitherto Earliest Record of Copulating Insects from the Middle Jurassic of China. PLoS ONE 8(11): e78188. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078188

Financial Disclosure: This research is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (grant 2012CB821906), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 31172143, 31230065, 31272352 and 41272006), Project of Great Wall Scholar and KEY project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (grants KZ201310028033), and China Geological Survey (grant 1212011120115). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends): http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078188

Disclaimer: This press release refers to upcoming articles in PLOS ONE. The releases have been provided by the article authors and/or journal staff. Any opinions expressed in these are the personal views of the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLOS. PLOS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the release and article and your use of such information.

About PLOS ONE: PLOS ONE is the first journal of primary research from all areas of science to employ a combination of peer review and post-publication rating and commenting, to maximize the impact of every report it publishes. PLOS ONE is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS), the open-access publisher whose goal is to make the world's scientific and medical literature a public resource.

All works published in PLOS ONE are Open Access. Everything is immediately available—to read, download, redistribute, include in databases and otherwise use—without cost to anyone, anywhere, subject only to the condition that the original authors and source are properly attributed. For more information about PLOS ONE relevant to journalists, bloggers and press officers, including details of our press release process and our embargo policy, see the everyONE blog at http://everyone.plos.org/media.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Speaking a second language may delay dementia, study shows

2013-11-07
Speaking a second language may delay dementia, study shows People who speak more than 1 language and who develop dementia tend to do so up to 5 years later than those who are monolingual, according to a study People who speak more than one language and ...

Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed

2013-11-07
Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed New insights gleaned from volcanic rock are helping scientists better understand how our planet evolved billions of years ago. Studies of basalt, the material that forms from cooling lava, ...

Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path

2013-11-07
Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path UFZ researchers illustrate the weaknesses of DNA barcoding Halle/Saale. For animal species that cannot be distinguished using their external characteristics, genetic techniques such as ...

Earliest marker for autism found in young infants

2013-11-07
Earliest marker for autism found in young infants NIH-funded study finds attention to others' eyes declines in 2 to 6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism Eye contact during early infancy may be a key to early identification of autism, according ...

NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading

2013-11-07
NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading Tropical Storm 30W weakened into a tropical depression again on Nov. 6 and wind shear stretched out the storm. The storm's elongation was evident in infrared NASA satellite imagery. NASA's Aqua satellite ...

Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes

2013-11-07
Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes Normal blood sugar regulation is a partnership between the pancreas and the brain A growing body of evidence suggests that the brain plays a key role in glucose regulation and the development ...

Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect

2013-11-07
Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect Parent's use of digital photography shown as an effective tool in diagnosis of retinoblastoma WACO, Texas (Nov. 6, 2013) —Can parents use digital cameras and smart phones to potentially screen ...

NASA sees heavy rain around Super-Typhoon Haiyan's eye

2013-11-07
NASA sees heavy rain around Super-Typhoon Haiyan's eye

School violence lowers test scores, not grades

2013-11-07
School violence lowers test scores, not grades WASHINGTON, DC, November 6, 2013 — It's hard to go a day without seeing news of violence in some form occurring in schools around the country, and Chicago is often cited as a city where crime rates in schools ...

In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care

2013-11-07
In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care Moms spend 70 percent of free time on parenting activities COLUMBUS, Ohio – Even in couples most likely to believe in sharing parenting responsibilities, mothers still bear significantly ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck. UW engineers have figured out why

New research shows how immigration status can become a death sentence during public health crisis

University of Toronto Engineering researchers develop safer alternative non-stick coating

Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat

More ecological diversity means better nutritional resources in Fiji’s agroforests

New global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates

Scientists create an artificial cell capable of navigating its environment using chemistry alone

A little salt is good for battery health

Deep-sea fish confirmed as a significant source of ocean carbonate

How to keep kids with eating disorders home after hospital stay? Therapy

Sex differences affect efficacy of opioid overdose treatment

Aligning AI with Human Values and Well-Being

Engineering the next generation of experimental physics

The scuba diving industry is funding marine ecosystem conservation and employing locals

BATMAN brings TCR therapy out of the shadows

Surrogates more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness, study finds

Columbia Engineering researchers turn dairy byproduct into tissue repair gel

Global estimates of lives and life-years saved by COVID-19 vaccination during 2020-2024

Potential trade-offs of proposed cuts to the NIH

New research simulates cancer cell behavior

COVID, over 2.5 million deaths prevented worldwide thanks to vaccines. One life saved for every 5,400 doses administered

Scuba diving generates up to $20 billion annually

Scientists advance efforts to create ‘virtual cell lab’ as testing ground for future research with live cells

How DNA packaging controls the “genome’s guardian”

Simplified models, deeper insights: Coarse-grained models unlock new potential for ionic liquid simulations

Gorillas’ personal circumstances shape their aggression towards groupmates

Which signalling pathways in the cell lead to possible therapies for Parkinson's disease

Identifying landslide threats using hydrological predictors

First graders who use more educational media spend more time reading

Exploring the meaning in life through phenomenology and philosophy

[Press-News.org] Earliest record of copulating insects discovered
Fossil of copulating insects discovered from Middle Jurassic period