00:00Fireflies may be a rare sight these days, with most species all over the world now being
00:08considered endangered.
00:09However, there are 2,500 known species of bioluminescent beetles, and at least one of
00:14them lived when the dinosaurs still walked the earth.
00:17This is Flammarionella heihikuni, and paleontologists found the specimen trapped in amber.
00:23It lit up the night some 99 million years ago, during the Mesozoic period.
00:27And while it is an amazing find, it's not the first, and that's sort of what makes it
00:30so special.
00:31That's because this creature's bioluminescent butt is different than the one found before
00:35it.
00:36Meaning that despite having existed nearly 100 million years ago, there was already likely
00:40vast genetic diversity in these light-up insects.
00:44Experts say that fireflies use their bioluminescence to both warn predators of toxins they may
00:48possess and to attract mates.
00:50The most recent prehistoric firefly was discovered in Myanmar, and is providing new insights
00:54to researchers studying the long-extinct creatures.
00:57With those investigators writing, it's part of their study.
01:00As the fossil record expands in the future, we anticipate further revelations that will
01:04broaden our knowledge of when, how, and why bioluminescence evolved in these fascinating
01:09animals during the Mesozoic era.
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