Scientists have found a fossil where two froghoppers were mating 165 million years ago until a volcano spewed Live Science reported on Fox News Thursday.
"In this region insect fossils are so good we can see the detailed structure, including the hair," Chung Kun Shih, a visiting professor from Capital Normal University in China told LiveScience. "The male and female organ we can see it. That's really rare.
"I got involved in this research in 1999, and I have seen more than half a million fossils," (but this was the only one in which the insects were clearly mating)," Shih told The New York Times.
The ancient artifacts were found facing each other when scientists were working in an area in Mongolia, China full of fossils.
The team of scientists believe the insects were in the middle of hugging at the same a volcano sizzled, and blew up ending life in the surrounding area, such as bacteria, and fungus Live Science reported.
Scientist don't know if the two species were turned toward each other during intercourse, or next to one another until being moved from the gravity of natural resources following their death.
"Behavior doesn't fossilize, so it is rare to have it preserved so clearly. Obviously there's behavior going on here," Marlene Zuk, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Minnesota and author of "Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language From the Insect World."
Froghoppers resemble Jurassic insects with equal sex organs. The froghopper has also not altered the way it does its duties over the past 165 million years as its abdominal section is bent so the male fossil can position himself more effectively when reproducing.
According to The New York Times 33 examples of coitus insects exist. The most ancient froghopper dates back to Lebanon when two small flies were caught in 135-million-year-old jewelry.
