Posted on 01/27/2017 5:59:49 PM PST by JimSEA
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a 100-million-year-old insect preserved in amber with a triangular head, almost-alien and "E.T.-like" appearance and features so unusual that it has been placed in its own scientific "order" -- an incredibly rare event.
There are about 1 million described species of insects, and millions more still to be discovered, but every species of insect on Earth has been placed in only 31 existing orders. Now there's one more.
The findings have been published in the journal Cretaceous Research and describe this small, wingless female insect that probably lived in fissures in the bark of trees, looking for mites, worms or fungi to feed on while dinosaurs lumbered nearby. It was tiny, but scary looking.
"This insect has a number of features that just don't match those of any other insect species that I know," said George Poinar, Jr., an emeritus professor of entomology in the OSU College of Science and one of the world's leading experts on plant and animal life forms found preserved in the semi-precious stone amber.
"I had never really seen anything like it. It appears to be unique in the insect world, and after considerable discussion we decided it had to take its place in a new order."
Perhaps most unusual, Poinar said, was a triangular head with bulging eyes, with the vertex of the right triangle located at the base of the neck. This is different from any other known insect, and would have given this species the ability to see almost 180 degrees by turning its head sideways.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
Praying Mantis are definitely ‘alien’ but cool!
True Story — I was walking home from a friend’s house late one summer night ... maybe 10:00 or so, still a little bit of light to see by. I decided to take the short-cut through the backyard between our houses, there was one spot where you had to squeeze between a fence post and a stand of forsythia bushes. As I was going thru’ I felt a big “hand” grab the back of my head, smacked at it and turned. It was BIG mantis, must have been in the bush and landed on me as I went by... now it was just sitting there turning it’s head and ‘blinking’ at me ... don’t know exactly why, but I have loved them ever since.
Close resemblance to the former president.
Thanks for posting. Insects are so very interesting, how amazing that a new Order has been discovered...
The world has seen an age of dinosaurs, an age of mammals, and yet to come perhaps one day there will be an age of Insects. What a fierce and beautiful world it might be.
Oh, it sounds like we have a couple of real scientists here. Well hopefully, you are. The “scientists” that I detest are like Bill Nye the Science Guy who is not a scientist at all, he’s an engineer. The other scientist I detest are the likes of global warming, radon, alar, etc. There is scam after scam to scare everyday citizens to get the feds to protect them. And how about the ones that can tell you what happened 10,000 years, archeologists. And how about the ones can tell you want happened thousands of light years ago? Total BS.
Why the hell should I believe most scientists when they are politically driven?
Actually I think you are giving Nye too much credit by calling him an engineer. While he may have the credentials, I doubt he could engineer his way out of a paper bag!
PS I detest the same “scientists” you detest.
Agreed. My initial posting was too broad. I’m just against the politically motivated ones.
Just a side note: most real engineers have more than a little real scientist in them. They deal with facts, want theories proven, know that politics and agendas have no place in science or engineering, etc. After all, the bridge, plane, car, chair, or anything else engineered has to work or people can (and sometimes do) die.
Understood. Sorry I misconstrued. Re-reading, I should have grasped what you meant.
In my job, I work with many engineers every day. They are just like any other occupation, some good, some bad. We don’t have the luxury of playing scientist, because of timelines set up by the company. Got to get new product ready and out the door. It would be nice to experiment and see what the best solution is, but that’s not what they pay me for.
Ah no!
It’s Them!!!
Friggin movie gave me a fear of Mantises for years.
LOL
Scared the crap out me too. For some reason I figured you’d seen it. Go figger.
Congratulations! That is the stupidest comment on FR today!
Nonsense! Where do you think tin cans and string came from? Let's see if he can make his own tin cans and string without those dreadful, good-for-nothing "scientists".
I grew up on all the old B horror movies.
When I was 9 or so, a ticked off Mantis attacked me in a laundromat.
That did not help.
:D
Now, I save their egg cocoons and bring them home, when I’m lucky enough to find them.
So far, so good.
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Nonsense!
Its a somewhat damaged Earwig.
Probably was attacked before it hatched.
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Nothing “early” about it; just not fully developed before it hatched.
Psuedo-science is disgusting!
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The clowns that produced this nonsense are definitely not scientists.
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