From Dexerto · Joe Pring · · 1m
Scientists name 99-million-year-old insect after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo
Scientists named a 99-million-year-old insect after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo due to shared flexible mouthparts.
In brief
Scientists named a 99-million-year-old insect after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo due to shared flexible mouthparts. Scientists named a 99-million-year-old insect species Cretodorus noonoo after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo due to its long, flexible mouthparts. Originally reported by Dexerto.
New insect species discovered
Scientists identified a 99-million-year-old insect species preserved in amber from Myanmar.
Insect named after Teletubbies
Researchers named the insect Cretodorus noonoo after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo due to shared flexible mouthparts.
Fossils from Kachin amber
The fossils were found in Kachin amber from Myanmar and belong to Neazoniidae, an extinct planthopper family.
Unique mouthparts feature
The insect had exceptionally long and flexible mouthparts reaching almost twice its body length.
Mouthparts function explained
Researchers think the mouthparts allowed the insect to probe tree bark for sugar-rich fluids.
Study authors and significance
The study was conducted by Dolev Fabrikant and Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou of Tel Aviv University and Yanzhe Fu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
What it means
Scientists named a 99-million-year-old insect species Cretodorus noonoo after Teletubbies' Noo-Noo due to its long, flexible mouthparts.
