Original structural color preserved in an ancient leaf beetle
Original structural color preserved in an ancient leaf beetle
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DOI：
10.1130/g25353.1
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发表时间：
2010-02
期刊：
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
G. Tanaka;H. Taniguchi;Haruyoshi Maeda;S. Nomura
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
G. Tanaka;H. Taniguchi;Haruyoshi Maeda;S. Nomura
绿蓝色金属色的叶甲鞘翅化石（Plateumaris sp.）在中更新世的泥炭沉积物中发现了这种化石。600 ka）日本九州的Hirabaru组。扫描和透射电子显微镜显示光滑的外表面的化石鞘翅和五个交替的电子致密和电子透明层的上表皮。通过将矩阵方法应用于上表皮，计算了波长388 nm、544 nm和656 nm的三个反射峰。这些峰对应于在白色光下观察到的反射色。因此，化石的颜色是由鞘翅上表皮的多层反射物引起的。热解-气相色谱-质谱分析表明，化石鞘翅保留了一些原来的大分子（甲壳素，蛋白质和氨基酸），这是类似于那些相关的全新世物种。泥炭的高孔隙度基质含有许多硅藻碎片，表明水柱的高生产力，但底部环境正在减少。微酸性的间隙水似乎也有助于保存一些原始的大分子化石昆虫通过地质时代。
Greenish-blue metallic colored fossil elytra of the leaf beetle ( Plateumaris sp.) have been discovered in the peat sediment of the middle Pleistocene (ca. 600 ka) Hirabaru Formation, Kyushu, Japan. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the smooth outer surface of the fossil elytra and five alternating electron-dense and electron-lucent layers in the epicuticle. By applying the matrix method to the epicuticle, three reflective peaks of wavelengths 388 nm, 544 nm, and 656 nm were computed. These peaks correspond to the reflective color observed under white light. Thus, the coloration of the fossils was caused by multilayer reflectors of the epicuticle of the elytra. Pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometric analysis revealed that the fossil elytra have preserved some of their original macromolecules (chitin, protein, and amino acids), which are similar to those of a related Holocene species. The high-porosity matrix of the peat contains many fragments of diatoms, indicating the high productivity of the water column but a reducing bottom environment. Slight acidity of the interstitial water also seems to contribute to the preservation of some original macromolecules of fossil insects through geologic time.