The Oregon State University presented two fossils in amber, including a parasitic wasp and a long-stemmed flower. The famous entomologist George Poinar Jr. identified them and stated that these were rare species.
George Poinar Jr. Named the Two Fossils
Poinar named the new flower Plukenetia minima. It is the earliest fossil record of the genus Plukenetia on the Hispaniolan island, which is home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The adult female flower, according to Poinar, is notable for its modest size and long stalk, which has four separate capsules at the tip. He said the flower has bloomed and has four mature seed capsules or pods. A fly larva is growing in one of the pods.
On the other hand, Poinar is called the wasp Hambletonia Dominicana. It is a species of wasp known as an encyrtid, which preys on various insects. The wasp was first identified in 2020 in Biosis: Biological Systems.
According to Poinar, in many cases, unrelated organisms are accidentally entombed together in amber. However, in the case of the two species, he believed that the wasp was drawn to the flower to collect nectar or lay an egg on the capsule containing the fly larva.
The wasp egg would eventually hatch, enter the pod, and consume the fly larva, allowing the wasp to survive in the ecological niche made possible by the Plukenetia plant's foliage and flower heads.
"Both fossils can be associated with two 20th-century art movements that appeared in fine art, design, and architecture. The petite flower represents the Art Nouveau style that emphasizes elegant curves and long lines. The dancing wasp represents the Art Deco style that stresses sharp angles and decorative shapes, Poinar said.
George Poinar Jr. Fossil Discoveries
Poinar had published several fossil findings, one of which is the Euphorbiaceae family's fossil flower in amber. The species came from the Dominican Republic, which produces some of the purest fossilized tree resin in the world.
The Euphorbiaceae family, popularly known as the spurge family, has 1,800 species, and 105 of its 300 genera are found in the tropical regions of the Americas.
Poinar said that the fossil flowers of members of this family are quite rare. He could only find one previously known fossil from sedimentary deposits in Tennessee.
The poinsettia, castor oil plant, and rubber tree are a few examples of plants that belong to this family.
While certain species are useful as sources of oil or milk, many members have milky latex.
Other members of the Euphorbiaceae were identified on the BioOne Complete website, such as Plukenetia brevistyla (Amazon basin), Plukenetia megastyla (Amazon basin), and Plukenetia chocoensis (Chocó Biogeographic Region of Colombia) and Plukenetia sylvestris (Central and southern Peru).
George O. Poinar Jr. is a Courtesy Appointment in the Department of Integrative Biology at the Oregon State University. According to New Yorker, he has devoted his entire professional life to studying insects trapped in amber and utilizing them to recreate ancient habitats. Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" was inspired by the discovery of a female fly that was astonishingly well preserved in 1982.
Check out more news and information on Environment in Science Times.
