Research on evolutionary theory: Long life of beetles

The new study shows that most modern beetle groups are present around us since dinosaurs and have become more diverse than ever.

There are about 350,000 types of earth beetles, and probably more than millions have not been discovered, accounting for about 25% of all life forms identified on Earth. The cause of this large number of beetle species has been debated by scientists for many years but has not been resolved.

Currently, a group of scientists has demonstrated that a large number of today's beetle lineages evolved very soon after the first beetles appeared, and existed ever since. Many varieties of current beetles have appeared during the Jurassic period, as well as the time when dinosaurs existed.

Professor Alfried Vogler of the Faculty of Life Sciences at London Imperial College and the Department of Entomology at the Museum of Natural History explains: 'The large number of beetles that exist today may be a very clear direct result of early evolution and the fact that there is a very high survival rate and the continuous diversity of many beetle species since then. '

A small sample of about 350,000 types of earth beetles (Photo: iStockphoto / Hernan Pardo)

The scientific team after this new study is also considered to be the most extensive to date using DNA sequences and fossil traces to produce a comprehensive evolutionary family map for the species. beetles. By comparing the DNA sequence of 1,880 beetles, scientists can classify beetles from a common ancestor, which could help them create a progressive diagram. chemistry for all types of beetles. The fossils of these confirmed periods are then used to determine the major periods of evolution and diversification in the family diagram.

Prior to this study, the long-term survival of the beetle was thought to be due to the herbivorous lifestyle and the increase in angiosperms in the Cretaceous period that began about 140 million years ago. However, the drawing of category numbers on the evolutionary diagram shows that many modern beetle lines have existed before the emergence of the first angiosperm species.

Professor Vogler said, many beetle lineages exhibit a special ability to capture ecological opportunities and form a species with a large range of development. He said: ' Unlike the dinosaurs that have gradually become extinct, the beetles exist due to their adaptability and ecological diversity. '

The team of scientists said that understanding the evolution of beetles is an important part of exploring the natural world. " By shaping the beetle as a greater proportion than all other species, learning about their relationships and their evolution will give us a new insight into the origin of the Ecological diversity and how the beetles have existed for nearly 300 million years , 'Professor Vogler said.

This study was published in Science magazine on December 21, 2007.

(Photo: MSN)

THANH TAM