Fossil insects from PERMIAN (270 MYA) deposits in Russian Ural mountains
have partially digested pollen in their guts. But the pollen was AIR
DISPERSAL type ! Perhaps the insects were adapting to a new food source
(the pollen) and inadvertently aiding the reproduction of the plants.
The plants were doing their own thing by the wind. The article suggests
that coevolution from that point on could account for specific
insect-plant adaptations.
The original publication is in a Russian journal LETHAIA (vol. 29)
Al McCarrick
MCCARRIC@mailgate.navsses.navy.mil