Paleontologists now have, arguably, the oldest tangible evidence of butterflies or moths. This exceptional discovery was made inside a 236-million-year-old coprolite from Talampaya National Park, Argentina. This unexpected discovery is providing important new clues about the evolution of these pests. It directly addresses several important gaps in their evolutionary timeline as well.
The research team, comprised of paleontologists from various Argentine institutions and a collaborator from the United Kingdom, made this groundbreaking find during excavations in the park. Fossil dung has previously been discovered becoming hard in the areas seeds may happen to be. This fossil is from the middle of the Triassic period. Analysis of the coprolite revealed scales from lepidopterans—an order encompassing both moths and butterflies—offering unprecedented insights into the ancient ecosystems that existed long before modern species evolved.
Significant Findings in Argentina
The coprolite was thoroughly examined at Argentina’s Regional Center for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer of La Rioja. The researchers studied the sample with a multimethod scientific approach to determine its elemental and isotopic makeup. Among these, they found really small scales, around 200 microns long, that were definitively identified as lepidopteran.
The rarity of this find makes it especially exciting. It occurred 16 million years after the end-Permian extinction event, which eliminated over 90% of animal species on Earth. The discoveries push back the clock on how long butterflies and moths have existed. They illustrate how successful these insects were in a variety of environments much earlier than we had once thought.
A New Species Emerges
This academically adventurous research team has quite possibly identified a new species of lepidopteran, bringing huge kudos to them. They have dubbed it Ampatiri eloisae. This designation raises the profile of this valuable discovery. It ambiguouss a new chapter in our understanding of lepidopteran evolution. This last finding is more than just a great headline. It indicates that the family tree of butterflies and moths is more diverse and intricate than previous models had suggested.
The research team’s work culminated in a publication in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences, providing a detailed account of their findings and methodologies. The publication is an indispensable resource for any other scientists working in paleobiology and the evolutionary history of insects. For anyone looking to dive deeper into the study, the research DOI is 10.1016/j.jsames.2025.105584.
Implications for Evolutionary Biology
This find—the first discovery of lepidopteran scales in ancient coprolite—upends what we thought we knew. It opens up fantastic new opportunities for research into insect evolution. Such a discovery would provide critical missing pieces to our fossil record. Furthermore, it will influence the way scientists understand early ecosystems following mass extinction events.
Researchers are currently in the process of analyzing similar sites and samples. Ultimately, they want to find more evidence that will inform our understanding of biodiversity across all of Earth’s history. The knowledge that can be obtained from such a unique coprolite would represent a remarkable discovery to evolutionary biology and paleontology.
