Scientists Discover 47-Million-Year-Old Cicada Fossil in Germany
ScientistsinGermanyhavediscoveredanalmostperfectlypreservedfossilofacicada, thoughttobearound47 million years old.
德國科學家發現了一塊保存近乎完好的蟬化石，據估計已有約 4700 萬年歷史。
ItsagemakesitoneoftheoldestknowntruecicadaseverdiscoveredinEuropeandthefirstofitskindfoundintheMesselPit-aUNESCOWorldHeritagesitenearFrankfurt, knownforitsamazingfossildiscoveries.
它的年齡使其成為歐洲迄今發現的最古老的真蟬之一，也是在法蘭克福附近的梅塞爾坑發現的第一隻此類蟬。梅塞爾坑是聯合國教科文組織世界遺產，以其驚人的化石發現而聞名。
EverynewfossilfindfromtheMesselPitisofgreatscientificimportance, saysDrSonjaWedmann, apaleoentomologistatSenckenbergResearchInstituteandNaturalHistoryMuseumFrankfurt.
森肯貝格研究所和法蘭克福自然歷史博物館的古昆蟲學家 Sonja Wedmann 博士說，在梅塞爾坑發現的每一塊新化石都具有重要的科學意義。
Thisfossilissowellpreserved, ithasenabledtheteamtostudythespeciesinmuchmoredepththaneverbefore.
該化石保存得非常完好，使得研究小組能夠比以往更深入地研究該物種。
Thecicada, namedEoplatypleuramesselensis, measuresabout 2.65 cm inbodylengthandhasawingspanof 6.82 cm.
這隻蟬名叫 Eoplatypleura messelensis，體長約 2.65 厘米，翅展 6.82 厘米。
DrHuiJiang, theleadauthoronthepublishedstudyoftheinsect, saysthecicadas'sizeandintricatewingpatterncouldhavebeenhugelysignificantfortheirsurvival.
這篇關於這種昆蟲的已發表研究報告的主要作者江輝博士表示，蟬的大小和複雜的翅膀圖案可能對它們的生存具有重大意義。
ThesepatternsaresimilartothoseofmoderncicadaspeciesofthePlatypleurinigroup, whichliveinwoodsandscrubland.
這些圖案與生活在樹林和灌木叢中的現代蟬類 Platypleurini 的圖案相似。
GiventhesubtropicalvegetationintheMesselareaaround47 million yearsago, thecolorationcouldhavefulfilledasimilarecologicalfunction–forexampleascamouflage.
考慮到大約 4700 萬年前梅塞爾地區的亞熱帶植被，這種顏色可能發揮了類似的生態功能——例如作為偽裝。
Scientists in Germany have discovered an almost perfectly preserved fossil of a cicada, thought to be around 47 million years old.
Its age makes it one of the oldest known true cicadas ever discovered in Europe and the first of its kind found in the Messel Pit - a UNESCO World Heritage site near Frankfurt, known for its amazing fossil discoveries.
Every new fossil find from the Messel Pit is of great scientific importance, says Dr Sonja Wedmann, a paleoentomologist at Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt.
This fossil is so well preserved, it has enabled the team to study the species in much more depth than ever before.
The cicada, named Eoplatypleura messelensis, measures about 2.65 cm in body length and has a wingspan of 6.82 cm.
Dr Hui Jiang, the lead author on the published study of the insect, says the cicadas' size and intricate wing pattern could have been hugely significant for their survival.
These patterns are similar to those of modern cicada species of the Platypleurini group, which live in woods and scrubland.
Given the subtropical vegetation in the Messel area around 47 million years ago, the coloration could have fulfilled a similar ecological function – for example as camouflage.
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