Fossil beetles show earliest signs of active parenting

Ancient beetles that thrived off of dead and decaying flesh may have been among the first creatures to actively care for their young. Fossils of carrion beetles from China and Myanmar suggest the insects defended food for their larvae and had body parts to make noise to send signals to their young 125 million years ago. The finding, which appears September 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, represents the earliest evidence of parental care, scientists say.