KMS Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeonotology,CAS
Structural colours in diverse Mesozoic insects | |
Cai, Chenyang (蔡晨阳)1![]() | |
2020-07-08 | |
Source Publication | PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
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ISSN | 0962-8452 |
Volume | 287Issue:1930Pages:7 |
Abstract | Structural colours, nature's most pure and intense colours, originate when light is scattered via nanoscale modulations of the refractive index. Original colours in fossils illuminate the ecological interactions among extinct organisms and functional evolution of colours. Here, we report multiple examples of vivid metallic colours in diverse insects from mid-Cretaceous amber. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed a smooth outer surface and five alternating electron-dense and electron-lucent layers in the epicuticle of a fossil wasp, suggesting that multilayer reflectors, the most common biophotonic nanostructure in animals and even plants, are responsible for the exceptional preservation of colour in amber fossils. Based on theoretical modelling of the reflectance spectra, a reflective peak of wavelength of 514 nm was calculated, corresponding to the bluish-green colour observed under white light. The green to blue structural colours in fossil wasps, beetles and a fly most likely functioned as camouflage, although other functions such as thermoregulation cannot be ruled out. This discovery not only provides critical evidence of evolution of structural colours in arthropods, but also sheds light on the preservation potential of nanostructures of ancient animals through geological time. |
Keyword | Insecta cuckoo wasps colour Cretaceous amber taphonomy |
DOI | 10.1098/rspb.2020.0301 |
Indexed By | SCI |
Language | 英语 |
WOS Keyword | CHRYSIDID WASPS HYMENOPTERA ; BEETLES ; PRESERVATION ; IRIDESCENCE ; COLORATION ; AMBER ; ULTRASTRUCTURE ; IRREGULARITY ; REFLECTORS ; MECHANISMS |
Funding Project | Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences[XDB26000000] ; Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences[XDB18000000] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[41688103] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[91514302] ; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the CAS[2018347] |
WOS Research Area | Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Evolutionary Biology |
WOS Subject | Biology ; Ecology ; Evolutionary Biology |
WOS ID | WOS:000547482700002 |
Funding Organization | Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ; National Natural Science Foundation of China ; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the CAS |
Publisher | ROYAL SOC |
Citation statistics | |
Document Type | 期刊论文 |
Identifier | http://ir.nigpas.ac.cn/handle/332004/32101 |
Collection | 中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所 |
Corresponding Author | Cai, Chenyang (蔡晨阳); Pan, Yanhong (泮燕红)) |
Affiliation | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Ctr Excellence Life & Paleoenvironm, Nanjing Inst Geol & Palaeontol, State Key Lab Palaeobiol & Stratig, Nanjing 210008, Peoples R China 2.Hartpury Coll, Dept Anim Sci, Hartpury GL19 3BE, England 3.Nanjing Univ, Sch Earth Sci & Engn, Nanjing 210023, Peoples R China 4.Shanghai Normal Univ, Coll Life Sci, Lab Systemat Entomol, Shanghai 200234, Peoples R China 5.Lingpoge Amber Museum, Shanghai 201108, Peoples R China |
First Author Affilication | Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeonotology,CAS |
Corresponding Author Affilication | Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeonotology,CAS |
Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Cai, Chenyang ,Tihelka, Erik,Pan, Yanhong ,et al. Structural colours in diverse Mesozoic insects[J]. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,2020,287(1930):7. |
APA | Cai, Chenyang .,Tihelka, Erik.,Pan, Yanhong .,Yin, Ziwei.,Jiang, Rixin.,...&Huang, Diying .(2020).Structural colours in diverse Mesozoic insects.PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,287(1930),7. |
MLA | Cai, Chenyang ,et al."Structural colours in diverse Mesozoic insects".PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 287.1930(2020):7. |
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