Scientists Uncover Remarkable 520-Million-Year-Old Fossil with Intact Brain and Guts

A recent study from Queen Mary University of London, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, has revealed significant health risks posed by the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin to bee populations. Researchers found that exposure leads to detrimental changes in gene activity across various tissues, notably affecting the brain, legs, and kidney-like tissues of bees. Professor Yannick Wurm noted that 82% of these gene activity changes were tissue-specific, which helps explain the multifaceted health issues that exposed bees encounter, including impaired movement and compromised immunity.
Study lead author Alicja Witwicka emphasized the need for more comprehensive assessments of pesticides, highlighting that "we apply pesticides without fully understanding their effects on beneficial insect pollinators." The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has pointed out that bees are essential for one-third of global food production, raising concerns about the potential impact on food supply and biodiversity amidst already declining bee populations due to factors like habitat loss and climate change.