Bee fossils found at La Brea Tar Pits offer clues to Ice Age climate
Bee fossils from La Brea Tar Pits seem to give enough proofs to researchers that during Ice Age, these insects lived near water resources. And the main source of the whole information is La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
There is no denying the fact that there may not be so many stand alone places like La Brea Tar Pits that house so much info at a single place about the life on Earth millions and millions of years before the first man was even born on it.
Scientists and researchers are unanimous that in the next few years this place is going to give much more info on how the world evolved and how different forms of life came into existence and got destroyed as years passed by. Scientists who have been trying to find more and more information on ice age or glacial age to be precise are now paying more attention to insects and other small animals. Scientists working on it have revealed that fossilized leafcutter bees lived near water sources during ice age.
In the meantime this place near Los Angeles has become of paramount importance for scientists. Researchers have been able to find lots of prehistoric facts here and they continue to find it even now. This is simply amazing and the scientists have marveled the place. The place is a wonderland of sorts for scientists who discover bones and other fossils of animals that roamed this part of the word thousands or rather millions of years ago. A report goes on to conclude that this natural museum of sorts actually preserved five million fossils of as many as 600 animals and plants in it.
There is no denying the fact that for more than 38 years since it was first discovered, experts researching at the spot have tried to ensure that they give more emphasis on mammals and insects instead of huge animals that were their focus earlier. Dr John Harris chief curator of the Page Museum says, "This vast treasure trove of fossils is key to understanding the response of the wildlife and habitats of Southern California to global cooling and warming at the end of the Ice Age. It affords an evolutionary perspective to ongoing climate change". Experts are trying to focus on insects to know more about the life at that time. They have tried to focus on pupae containing nest cells of leafcutter bees to find about the environment in California.
There are several similarities as far as leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata is concerned. The insect lives to date in this in this part of world. Scientists through micro CT scans tried to find if nets still kept unharmed pupae. These bees fossils were then examined to find out their physical features. M. gentilis as per researchers findings had their habitation in proximity to wooded habitat near water source that had moist environment. Holden says, "Because this is a fossil of rare life-stage, it's an exceptional find in itself. But it's just the tip of the iceberg, we know that insects offer a vivid portrait of the prehistoric conditions of this area, and there are literally thousands more to study". Many more secrets of the universe are going to be found here in coming days.
Source : http://nvonews.com/bee-fossils-at-la-brea-tar-pits-offer-clues-to-ice-age-climate/
