The first wings on Earth might have evolved from the legs of an ancient flightless crustacean. Crustaceans form a large diverse arthropods such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimps, prawns, and krills. Scientists believe that the first insects emerged in water roughly around 480 million years ago. As terrestrial ecosystems became more complex around 80 million years later. Some marine animals had transitioned to land over time

If they're right, the earliest insects were buzzing around our planet long before birds, bats, and pterosaurs. So how did they get that ability to fly? A recent study suggests that the answer is found in the development stage of insects. The leg segments closest to its body became incorporated into the body wall during embryonic development. To better support its weight on land, the leg lobes then moved up onto the insect’s back. Later it squeezed through the body wall and back out again to form wings. A mystery that puzzled biologists for over a century is finally resolved

Music: Scott Buckley