Scientists identify color of ancient fossilized butterfly
April 11 (UPI) -- Scientists have successfully determined the color of an ancient butterfly wing. It's the first time scientists have identified the color of a 200-million-year-old insect.The coloration of a butterfly's wing is determined by wavelength-selective scattering patterns, which cause some wavelengths to be absorbed and others to be reflected. Unlike pigments, which can survive for millions of years, structural colors are more difficult to identify among ancient fossils.An international team of researchers used a combination of advanced imaging techniques to reveal the ultrastructures, the architecture of cells visible with magnification, on the surface of the fossil butterfly wing. Scientists used optical modeling to interpret the structural patterns and characterize the wing's ...