Oddball fossils suggest that the first insects were a mixed bunch

09 September 2026

As the most diverse class of animals, insects have dominated terrestrial ecosystems for the past 320 million years. However, the origins of this successful group have faded into the abysses of geological time. A collection of fossils reveals the unusual body plans and evolutionary experiments that could have contributed to the success of insects.

This is a summary of: Tihelka, E. et al. Amphibious stem-insect sheds light on colonization of land. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10961-2 (2026).

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02710-2

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