Ice-Age Bees Discovered in Tar Pits
- 10 years ago
California’s La Brea Tar Pits are no strangers to Ice Age fossils, but recently some prehistoric bees found in them in the 70s have been getting some extra attention.
California’s La Brea Tar Pits are no strangers to Ice Age fossils, but recently some prehistoric bees found in them in the 70s have been getting some extra attention.
When they were originally collected, the technology to examine them without destroying the specimens wasn’t yet available.
Now, thanks to micro-CT scanners available to do the delicate job, researchers were able to generate a 3-D model of the bee pupae by joining over 2 thousand scan slices.
As a result of their research so far, the scientists believe that the fossils were found in the same place they once lived, as opposed to being moved there over time.
The bees are estimated to be 23 to 40 thousand years old.
That discovery is particularly exciting for some, as it means much information about climate and survival can potentially be learned.
Scientists are hopeful that learning more about that relationship in prehistoric times can shed light on the changes that occurred southern California back then.
Said one of the team members, "these specimens frequently serve as the most valuable paleoenvironemental indicators due to their narrow climate restrictions and life cycles."
California’s La Brea Tar Pits are no strangers to Ice Age fossils, but recently some prehistoric bees found in them in the 70s have been getting some extra attention.
When they were originally collected, the technology to examine them without destroying the specimens wasn’t yet available.
Now, thanks to micro-CT scanners available to do the delicate job, researchers were able to generate a 3-D model of the bee pupae by joining over 2 thousand scan slices.
As a result of their research so far, the scientists believe that the fossils were found in the same place they once lived, as opposed to being moved there over time.
The bees are estimated to be 23 to 40 thousand years old.
That discovery is particularly exciting for some, as it means much information about climate and survival can potentially be learned.
Scientists are hopeful that learning more about that relationship in prehistoric times can shed light on the changes that occurred southern California back then.
Said one of the team members, "these specimens frequently serve as the most valuable paleoenvironemental indicators due to their narrow climate restrictions and life cycles."