A fossil of a hitherto-unknown species of the Liassophlebia genus, more commonly known as damsel-dragonflies, has been discovered in Bowdens Quarry, Somerset, UK.
The fossil is 202 million years old and is determined to be from the late Rhaetian age of the Triassic period. This new specimen has an incomplete forewing of length 4.2 cm (approx 1 inch) and width around 1 cm (0.4 inches).
There is no name for this species yet as the paleontologists felt that the preservation of this specimen is incomplete, especially due to it’s broken wing, so for now, the new specimen, which is technically the 4th subspecies of Liassophlebia, is just categorized under the Liassophlebia genus.
Liassophlebia is a species which falls under the larger category of the Odonatoptera species of damselflies and dragonflies, which, along with the mentioned, consists of 4 other species namely Bavarophlebia, Ferganophlebia, Grimmenopteron, and Rossiphlebia.
The newly discovered specimen has helped paleontologists and other biologists determine the presence of Liassophlebia in the aftermath of the Triassic-Jurassic period whereas the previous species indicated their presence in only the late Jurassic period. It has also signaled the existence of other species of Liassophlebia and has helped biologists understand more about the Jurassic-Triassic age and the different species of damsel-dragonflies.