Ancient Fossil Reveals Insights into Leaf Miners and Insect Evolution

A 312-million-year-old fossil found on a Carboniferous seed-fern leaf provides evidence of internal feeding within a leaf, known as leaf mining, occurring approximately 70 million years earlier than previously believed. The fossil, which represents the earliest indication of this behavior, sheds light on the evolution and behavior of insects. The exceptional preservation of the fossil allowed researchers to observe the meandering trail left by the larva, a behavior only known to be performed by holometabolous insects. This finding provides insights into larval behavior and the existence of full metamorphosis during the late Paleozoic period.