Ancient Millipede Walked with Dinosaurs, Died in a Sticky Amber Trap

Another window to the past find has revealed a new suborder of ancient Millipede exquisitely preserved in its amber tomb for the last 99 million years , the Millipede is tiny measuring just 8.2 millimeters.

The entombed fossil, of a female measuring 0.3 inches (8.2 millimeters) in length, was so well-preserved that its minuscule body structures were retained in exceptional condition. This enabled scientists to identify the tiny arthropod as not only a previously unknown species, but a previously unknown suborder as well, adding a branch to the millipede family tree.

Other than the millipede's unusually small size, several clues told the scientists that this specimen differed from the three other suborders within the Callipodida order. It lacked certain hair-like growths; the shape of its rear segment was unique, and while most callipodidans' compound eyes contain at least 30 optical units, the little millipede's eyes held only five — "the lowest limit known in the group," Stoev said.
www.livescience.com...

The scientists involved in the examination of the specimen used a CT scanner to create this 3D model of the millipede now named Burmanopetalum inexpectatum.


Amber , natures gift that just keeps giving.

a reply to: gortex

Looks like a piece of fine gold jewelry in that amber.

I can only imagine what animals/creatures existed back them. What is neat though is that some don't appear all that different from ones we have today.

a reply to: gortex

Pretty tiny. It is really in great shape.

I wish we could extract what it have seen in its life and make it a small movie..

a reply to: Spacespider

That would be a cool movie , although a tiny millipede's eye view may be a bit restrictive.
I'd still pay to see it though.

a reply to: gortex

From a tiny Millipede to a leprechaun, its the best I got oh and his eye gets a restricted view, all I will say is 'bike seat'



warning mild titillation

a reply to: gortex

Is that...thats not the amber giving it that illustrious golden look is it?

a reply to: 3n19m470

I think so , I'd guess from the picture they're shining white light on to it.

originally posted by: Spacespider
I wish we could extract what it have seen in its life and make it a small movie..

Lots of dirt, I assume. When did grass evolve? Maybe some grass. Anyway, go into your backyard or a nearby park and stick your eye in the dirt. That would be a rough approximation.

It's not like they were seeing grand prehistory vistas crawling with dinosaurs like in Jurrasic Park. They were bugs. The saw what bugs see.

a reply to: Blue Shift

And you still don't think it'd be neat to somehow extract the contents of the bug's experiences and view it in a film?

originally posted by: DictionaryOfExcuses
a reply to: Blue Shift

And you still don't think it'd be neat to somehow extract the contents of the bug's experiences and view it in a film?

No, I don't. It's a bug. It crawled on the ground. Now if you could figure a way to recover a pteranodon's memories, that might be super cool.

a reply to: UpIsNowDown

Next time would you please give the "mild titillation" warning ahead of the video in
BOLD BRIGHT TEXT?

Now I won't be able to function until cool-down sequence has completed.

THANKS!

a reply to: seattlerat

WARNING APOLOGY

lol, sorry I am still learning internet etiquette