Scientists discover 3,000-year-old mummified bee whose legs and antennae are still intact! : Okezone techno

LISBON – Scientists have managed to find a group of bees trapped in a cocoon nest and preserved as mummies for 3000 years. They also saw small parts of the body still intact, such as the legs and antennae.

In a study published on July 27 a Journalistic articles in paleontologyPortuguese researchers describe the discovery of insect fossils complete with honeycombs inside.

“This new fossil discovery is an extraordinary opportunity to understand how bees nest and their evolution,” said the study’s lead author and paleontologist, Carlos Neto de Carvalho of the Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark, quoted by Science liveThursday (8/31/2023).

The bees were found on rocks formed about 3,000 years ago near Portugal’s Atlantic coast. The researchers discovered fossils in the form of bulb-like objects that they identified as traces of ancient cocoons.

By scanning these samples, the research team could see the remains of ancient bees hidden inside the cocoons, which appeared to be unchanged because they had remained underground for thousands of years. This find was intact enough that the researchers placed it in the Eucerini species, bees that often have very long antennae.

“The samples also contained evidence of pollen from Brassicaceae plants, which sheds light on what these bees may have eaten.” Added Neto de Carvalho.

These bees lay their eggs in underground nests and over time the eggs develop into cocoons and become adult bees before finally emerging to the ground. However, these insects died before reaching that stage and underwent an accidental preservation process.

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