Scientists Find Fossil Insects 'Vampire' First
6 Februari 2012
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OREGON - Scientists have found fossils of tiny blood-sucking insects that live as parasites in bats. Insects are known as the bat fly (bat flies), it has spread malaria bats since 20 million years ago.
"Bat fly is an extraordinary case of animal evolution that evolve with the bat and can not be found anywhere else," said George Poinar, a zoology at Oregon State University who led the research.
Some of the insect parasites of this type, only suck the blood of certain species of bats and spend most of their lives on the sidelines or on the membrane of the bat fur. They have a flat shape, such as body lice with long legs, and there are winged or wingless. Similarly, reported Live Science, Monday (06/02/2012).
Bat fly fall into one of two families and nycteribiidae streblidae, each of which, mostly found in Eastern and Western Hemisphere. At present, scientists have identified the flies nycteribiid who acts as a vector, or propagator bat malaria, but researchers have now learned that streblids can also spread the disease.
"Although not found in the malaria parasite streblids that still exist today, it is likely that streblids are descendants of the earliest flies that transmit malaria to bat Chiroptera (bats)," Poinar wrote in one of the research are published in the journal Parasites & Vectors.
Based on other fossils are encased in resin from the mine La vociferously, Poinar estimate that the bat fly trapped in there about 20 million to 30 million years ago, although there is also the possibility of reaching the time span of 15 jut asampai 45 million years ago. Given that bats have been around since the 50 million years ago, the discovery of blood-sucking insect fossils means that the bat had been attacking bats fly at least half-time existence of the species.
This fossil is the first streblid flies ever found, possibly because insects generally do not survive well, unless they are trapped in a kind of preservatives such as sap. In addition this bat fly bat leaving its host only during mating.
"I can not find the bat fossil record nycteribiid fly so this will be the first fossil record of the bat fly," said Poinar.
"Bat fly is an extraordinary case of animal evolution that evolve with the bat and can not be found anywhere else," said George Poinar, a zoology at Oregon State University who led the research.
Some of the insect parasites of this type, only suck the blood of certain species of bats and spend most of their lives on the sidelines or on the membrane of the bat fur. They have a flat shape, such as body lice with long legs, and there are winged or wingless. Similarly, reported Live Science, Monday (06/02/2012).
Bat fly fall into one of two families and nycteribiidae streblidae, each of which, mostly found in Eastern and Western Hemisphere. At present, scientists have identified the flies nycteribiid who acts as a vector, or propagator bat malaria, but researchers have now learned that streblids can also spread the disease.
"Although not found in the malaria parasite streblids that still exist today, it is likely that streblids are descendants of the earliest flies that transmit malaria to bat Chiroptera (bats)," Poinar wrote in one of the research are published in the journal Parasites & Vectors.
Based on other fossils are encased in resin from the mine La vociferously, Poinar estimate that the bat fly trapped in there about 20 million to 30 million years ago, although there is also the possibility of reaching the time span of 15 jut asampai 45 million years ago. Given that bats have been around since the 50 million years ago, the discovery of blood-sucking insect fossils means that the bat had been attacking bats fly at least half-time existence of the species.
This fossil is the first streblid flies ever found, possibly because insects generally do not survive well, unless they are trapped in a kind of preservatives such as sap. In addition this bat fly bat leaving its host only during mating.
"I can not find the bat fossil record nycteribiid fly so this will be the first fossil record of the bat fly," said Poinar.
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