Scientists find a 47-million-year-old cicada fossil that has even preserved the details of its wings

Measuring around 1 inch in length with a wingspan of approximately 2.7 inches, an ancient cicada fossil has captured attention for preserving detailed wing veins. Researchers suggest it was part of a family of “true” singing cicadas that are still common across many warm regions today.

Experts were intrigued by the fossil’s nearly complete form. Its wings, pressed against stone, showed patterns seldom seen in insects so old.

How the cicada fossil was found

The study was led by Dr. Hui Jiang at the University of Bonn in Germany.

Their team examined layers of rock at the Messel Pit in Germany. This site is famous for producing remarkable fossils of birds, mammals, and insects.

Scientists say the rocks where the insect was found date to about 47 million years ago. They report that the cicada’s wings and body were flattened in the sediment, leaving behind fine details.

Connecting to an older lineage

Researchers identified this fossil as part of the tribe Platypleurini, which usually thrives in tropical and subtropical regions across Africa and Asia.

The presence of this group in ancient Europe challenges previous ideas about how these insects were distributed.

Some investigators think this newly described species, Eoplatypleura messelensis, shared characteristics with modern relatives that sing loudly during summer. That links its lineage to cicadas found in similar climates where humidity and warmth are typical.

“We can’t know the exact song,” said Dr. Hui Jiang. His team proposes the ancient cicada likely produced sounds using tymbals, structures that vibrate to create loud calls.

Because the fossil’s body appears a bit broader than most living cicadas, the males (though not found in these particular specimens) might have produced especially powerful tones. It is possible they reached volumes as high as today’s species or even beyond.

Cicada fossil was in a volcanic lake

Scientists explain that an ancient volcanic lake once covered the Messel Pit. Its lower layers had very low oxygen levels, which helped preserve organic material without rapid decay.

Sediments in the lake bed were so fine that delicate features, including wing veins, could fossilize. Research teams have uncovered many insects here, yet this cicada stands out for its intact body and wings.

Prior to this find, the earliest recognized members of this singing-cicada family were traced to other regions tens of millions of years ago.

This fossil’s age adjusts the timeline for when these creatures established themselves outside Africa and Asia.

“Such discoveries would assist in providing better calibrations for determining a more realistic evolutionary rate,” said Dr. Conrad Labandeira from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. That might reshape estimates of when and where these insects roamed.

Filling evolutionary gaps

The fossil record for cicadas is surprisingly limited considering how widespread and noisy they are today.

Only 44 confirmed Cicadidae fossils have been documented, making each new discovery a valuable puzzle piece for tracing their origins.

Fossils like Eoplatypleura messelensis serve as time markers for refining evolutionary trees. They help researchers test models built from molecular data and revise estimates about when key traits (like singing) first appeared.

Modern cicadas in the Platypleurini tribe often dwell in lush forests and shrubby regions with abundant moisture. The Messel region during the Eocene likely had a warm, humid climate, making it a suitable home for this insect.

By comparing wing structure and overall morphology, researchers suggest Eoplatypleura messelensis belonged to a group that probably relied on strong flight.

This flight, combined with its potential for loud calls, would have helped it find mates and avoid predators in a dense forest canopy.

Modern cicada cousins

One modern relative, the African cicada Brevisana brevis, reaches almost 107 decibels. That is close to a jet taking off. In eastern North America, periodical cicadas often reach 90 to 100 decibels, which is about the roar of a subway.

Next year, Brood XIV will emerge in the eastern United States. Its members appear every 17 years in billions, stirring excitement among enthusiasts who gather to witness the spectacle.

Whether Eoplatypleura messelensis made a similar commotion remains unknown, but the findings hint at a shared ancestry for ear-splitting calls.

Shifting climates, shrinking ranges

This Messel Pit cicada might inspire deeper questions about cicada movements across continents. Scientists are eager to find more fossil material that could reveal how these insects adapted through changing climates.

They also hope that additional specimens from Messel will confirm how early European populations compared to their modern kin in Africa and Asia. That information might illuminate how cyclical Earth events influenced cicada journeys over time.

As Earth cooled after the Eocene, the once-humid regions that supported insects like Eoplatypleura messelensis began to dry and cool.

This shift likely forced many species southward or into extinction, helping explain why today’s Platypleurini are mostly found in tropical zones.

Evidence suggests that ancient Europe supported a much richer variety of Cicadidae species than it does today. The fossil record, especially from Messel and other European sites, shows a stark contrast to the low cicada diversity now seen in regions like Germany.

The study is published in Scientific Reports.

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