Abstract
Multilayer reflectors cause structural, 'metallic' colours in a diversity of animals today, yet are unknown in extinct species. We identify a multilayer reflector, causing structural colour, in a 50-million-year-old beetle from Messel, Germany. It is proposed that the original material of this reflector has been preserved, although this is not a precondition for determining original colours from ancient multilayer reflectors. Therefore, the potential exists to reveal the original colours of other (particularly arthropod) extinct species.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (446.5 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Land M. F. The physics and biology of animal reflectors. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 1972;24:75–106. doi: 10.1016/0079-6107(72)90004-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mckenzie D, Large M. Multilayer reflectors in animals using green and gold beetles as contrasting examples . J Exp Biol. 1998 May;201(Pt 9):1307–1313. doi: 10.1242/jeb.201.9.1307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0371. [DOI] [PMC free article] [Google Scholar]