Nature Notebook
Were butterflies around in the time of the dinosaurs? The daintiness of a butterfly’s body makes the odds of finding fossilized remains nearly impossible. However, some sharp-eyed scientists have found some. Until recently, the oldest specimen dated 130 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period, a time when dinosaurs also existed. These early butterflies were likely rather bland looking. It is hypothesized that the brilliant coloration did not develop until after the dinosaur extinction.
