Discovery of fossil of dinosaur-era dragonfly

Reference

Recently, a fossil of a dragonfly from the Cretaceous Period has been found in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. This is the first dragonfly fossil found in dinosaur-era rocks in Canada.

Recent discovery of dragonfly fossil

• Publication: The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences.
• About the discovery: In the year 2023, this fossil was discovered during a field study by McGill University.
• Age: This fossil was found in the Dinosaur Park Formation, which is 75 million years old.
• New species: This fossil was identified as a new species and named Cordualadensa acorni.
• Naming: It was named in honour of University of Alberta entomologist John Acorn, who promoted Alberta's natural heritage.
• New family: Its unique anatomy also led to the creation of a new family, Cordualadensidae.

Significance of the discovery

• This discovery fills a 30 million year gap in the evolution of dragonflies.
• This fossil is the first species of the Cavilabiata group found in North America.
• It gives us new information about the environment of Canada 75 million years ago.
• This discovery doubles the insect history of Dinosaur Park, as previously only a fossil of a microscopic Aphid was found.
• It also represents a new preservation method called Impression Fossils.
  • The method of preservation of impression fossils comes under compression, where soft tissues and organic matter of the organism are destroyed due to high pressure, and only a flat impression or pressed mark is left on the rock.

About Dragonfly

• The scientific name of dragonfly is Odonata.
• It is part of the Cavilabiata order.
• There are two main types of dragonflies:
  1. True Dragonflies: Large wings and strong flight.
  2. Damselflies: Thin bodies and delicate wings.

Features

• Dragonflies have very large eyes and can see almost 360°.
• They have two pairs of wings, with the help of which they can fly very fast.
• They live near water sources like ponds, lakes and rivers because their larvae thrive in water.

Role in the environment

• Dragonflies maintain the balance of the environment by eating mosquitoes and other small insects.
• They are an important part of the food chain and are also a source of food for birds and fish.

Challenges

• Climate change and pollution of water sources are endangering dragonfly species.
• Deforestation and urbanisation are destroying their habitats.

Way forward

• Protecting water resources and natural habitats is essential to safeguard biodiversity.
• Scientific research and fossil discovery will help us understand the evolution of the earth and environmental changes better.
• Protecting species like dragonflies is vital to maintain ecological balance.