SCIENCE LAB SCOOPS : A FLIER [1]

 

A Flier Becomes Fit For Survival : The early bird got the cicada. Then the insect hit the accelerator.

Today, few critters are as abundant as cicadas. Thousands of cicada species are found throughout the world, and some periodically emerge by the trillions.

But the prehistoric world was not crawling with periodical swarms. The cicadas of the late Jurassic Period - which had bulkier bodies than today's bugs and wingspans that eclipsed those of modern hummingbirds - were relatively scarce.

And they were under attack from a new predator with feathery wings, claws and a toothy beak.

Early birds were a fearsome threat. But as they responded to these competitors, cicadas evolved sleeker and more powerful wings, according to a paper published in the journal Science Advances.

The World Students Society thanks Jack Tamisiea and this publishing continues to Part 2.