A 99-million-year-old beetle shines light on the evolution of glowing insects - CNN
Today, some young beetle larvae in the same superfamily have used light to protect themselves from predators, and adults have been known to use their light abilities to attract mates.
Modern-day fireflies produce light through a chemical reaction in their body.When a series of ingredients including the compound luciferin and the enzyme luciferase interact with oxygen, it produces a flickering light.
Study author Erik Tihelka, a paleobiology student at the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, said he wants to spend time researching what predators drove the evolution of bioluminescence in Cretaceous beetles.