Bees once fell into great extinction

Scientists say bees have fallen into extinction at the same time the dinosaurs disappear because many species of plants have died. But unlike dinosaurs, bees have had a spectacular return.

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Although there is still a lack of fossil evidence, but for the first time after analyzing the DNA of modern bees, researchers can prove that carpenter bees have undergone a massive extinction of 65 million. last year.

American and Australian scientists have collaborated to study a major extinction in Xylocopinae bees , also known as carpenter bees , in the late Cretaceous (White Chalk) and early Paleogene.

When the dinosaurs became extinct, carpenter bees went through a major extinction.(Photo: wikidino.com)

Previous studies have shown that there is a widespread extinction in flowering plants in this time and scientists have long assumed that bees depend on plants. that may have suffered the same fate. However, unlike dinosaurs, virtually no real fossil detail about bees makes the assertion of the extinction difficult.

But using modern technology, scientists analyzed the DNA sequences of four groups with 230 worker bees from all continents (except the Antarctic continent) for a better insight into the termites. evolutionary relationship.

Photo: encyclopedie-universelle.com

Combining fossil data with DNA analysis results, researchers were able to determine the specific time in the story and study panorama not only how bees relate to each other but also Know how old they are.

Sandra Rehen, a professor of biology at the University of New Hampshire, said: 'The data tells us something huge happened with all four different groups of bees at the same time. And it happened at the same time as the dinosaurs became extinct. '

According to scientists, these findings may help shed light on the current decline in bee populations around the globe, which is threatening crops that depend on the insect for pollination. flower.