The data set was analyzed using new statistical methods: the researchers used more
The data obtained is refuted earlierexisting theories about fleas, which argued that, due to unusual anatomy, fleas were not included in the evolutionary classification. According to the study authors, contrary to popular belief, fleas are technically scorpions that evolved when they began to feed on the blood of vertebrates: this happened somewhere between the Permian and Jurassic periods, approximately between 290 and 165 million years ago.
The closest living relatives of fleasare members of the scorpion family Nannochoristidae. This rare group has only seven species and is found in the southern hemisphere. In contrast to the blood-sucking fleas, the adults of the Nannochoristidae feed on nectar.
It used to be that everyone was a blood sucker.parasitic insects began their lives either as predators or alongside vertebrate hosts. However, it turned out that blood feeding can develop in groups that initially consumed nectar or other plant foods.
Scientists believe that because of their discovery it will be necessary to revise entomology textbooks.
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