this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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A fossilized mosquito preserved for 46,000,000 years was discovered with blood still inside its abdomen a rare snapshot of ancient life frozen in time

Article: https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1015/46-million-year-old-mosquito-filled-with-blood-is-a-scientific-first

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[–] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 15 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Hell yeah time to bring back the dinosaurs

[–] vanitasvanitatum@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

46 000 000 years ago?

I’m pretty sure that dinosaurs didn’t exist in Eocene.

For those who feel the urge to correct me, yes birds are theropods

[–] hayvan@piefed.world 38 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

It's from 2013, folks. Sadly no world-ending DNA.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 points 7 hours ago

Bullshit. Clone the mosquito a bajillion times and I guarantee you'll end the world.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

That just means they've had 13 years to work on it. 13 years to get it ready.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 points 7 hours ago

13 years to spare no expense.

[–] MJKee9@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago
[–] felykiosa@sh.itjust.works 14 points 19 hours ago (2 children)
[–] CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Imagine if a mosquito was found like this then they sequenced the DNA and it was yours! Sounds like a horror story

[–] thevoidzero@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago

That is quite common actually. We call it contaminated sample

[–] backalleycoyote@lemmy.today 1 points 13 hours ago

“Welcome, to Paleogene Park.”

Admittedly, the kids having to hide in the kitchen from a pack of Eohippi doesn’t hit nearly as hard.

[–] homes@piefed.world 79 points 1 day ago
[–] _stranger_@lemmy.world 63 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)
[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Check it to wreck it, let's begin.

[–] tryagain@sopuli.xyz 75 points 1 day ago (3 children)

LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

[–] lemmylommy@lemmy.world 19 points 22 hours ago

Bring it to Wuhan you said? Inject it into some bats? Sure, if you want it!

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

seriously ... we already have about 100 different ways of destroying our planet and ourselves ... we don't need some new exotic way to turn our world into an even worse hell hole than it already is

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 11 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Do mosquitos belong on the list with crabs, crocodiles, and sharks? Those little fucks don’t seem to have to evolve much.

[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

They belong to the list of things that need to be completely eradicated from the planet, the fucking bloodsucking, buzzing little bastards.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 18 hours ago

mosquitoes did feed on dinosaurs at some point. apparently mosquitoes also feed on other insects, arthopod hemolypmph. i saw a video of aedis agegypti (the one that spreads yellow fever and spread the most viruses)feeding on a caterpillar.

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[–] BC_viper@lemmy.world 42 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 12 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Dinasours with two butts?

[–] Lichtblitz@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

Even under the best preservation conditions, there is an upper boundary of 0.4–1.5 million years for a sample to contain sufficient DNA for sequencing technologies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_DNA

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 13 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Yea, but you can get partial DNA sequences and then fill the rest in with frogs or some shit.

[–] Lichtblitz@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 9 hours ago

Depending on the source DNA seems to have a half life of 500-1500 years. This source calculates with slightly over 500 years. Permafrost samples may be more on the upper end of the scale but the message would be similar:

A study of DNA extracted from the leg bones of extinct moa birds in New Zealand found that the half-life of DNA is 521 years. So every 1,000 years, 75 per cent of the genetic information is lost. After 6.8 million years, every single base pair is gone.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/how-long-does-dna-last

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 6 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

What if we used a time machine, go back in time, place a mosquito on a dinosaur, then when all full of blood place it into a cryogenic container that can last say 70+million years, go back to the present, find the container, and sequence the DNA?

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 6 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

Why not just bring the mosquito back? Or the actual dinosaur?

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

(That was the joke. Well, an attempt at a joke at least.)

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

It was too early in the morning for me to pick up on that.

My fault, not yours.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

No worries, I get mistaken for a stupid person all the time (... but I added the word "mistaken" there out of my own hubris, deep down I know those are no mistakes).

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 7 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Science is supposed to be complicated, dammit! /s

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago

Oh, you also attended Rube Goldberg University?

Good ol' RGU. The Fightin' Contraptions.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 5 points 14 hours ago (1 children)
[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago
[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 20 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Well not with that attitude. Have fun being dinosaurless while we're out here jousting on velociraptors

[–] Lichtblitz@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 18 hours ago

If you say it like that, I'll happily abandon science to go velocitaptor jousting with you!

[–] SpaceFacts@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago
[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 12 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Do do dooo dooo dooo!

Do do dooo dooo dooo!

[–] 0ops@piefed.zip 2 points 20 hours ago

Do do do dooo

Dooo dooo doooooooo!

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 12 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Bring that civilization-ending virus.

The world needs some alone time without humans.

[–] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 9 points 22 hours ago

Good news! No matter what we do the world is going to get some alone time without humans.

[–] protist@retrofed.com 9 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I recall the time they found some fossilized mosquitoes, and before long, they were cloning DNA

[–] vanitasvanitatum@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Fossilised?

Don’t want to sound rude but fossilised means turned into a rock…

I know because I love palaeontology and I‘m a fossil hunter.

Don’t ban me guys, I’m just an average paleo nerd

[–] protist@retrofed.com 2 points 7 hours ago

I was quoting Weird Al, don't shoot the messenger

[–] BoxOfFeet@lemmy.world 4 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Now I'm being chased by some irate velociraptors. Well, believe me, this has been one lousy day.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

Well, this sure ain't no e-ticket. Think I'll tell them where to stick it. 'Cause I'm never coming back this way again!

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Beats going to work.

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 3 points 23 hours ago

Die No Sar Dee En Aye

[–] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 hours ago
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