Complete metamorphosis likely evolved out of incomplete metamorphosis. The oldest fossilized insects developed much like modern ametabolous and hemimetabolous insects—their young looked like adults.

It is estimated that only about 3% of insects are pests. Metamorphosis refers to the insect’s life cycle, and how it changes and grows into an adult. Insects may have complete or incomplete (simple) ...

More information: Christin Manthey et al, Rapid growth and the evolution of complete metamorphosis in insects, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402980121 ...

Complete metamorphosis seems to have arisen in insects only around 350 million years ago, before the dinosaurs. Most researchers now believe that metamorphosis evolved to lessen the competition for ...

Gene Needed For Butterfly Transformation Also Key For Insects Like Grasshoppers Date: April 27, 2006 Source: University of Washington Summary: New University of Washington research shows that a ...

New University of Washington research shows that a regulatory gene named broad, known to be necessary for development of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, also is key for the maturation ...

Researchers have studied gene expression dynamics during metamorphosis in two species of flies. Published in the Genome Biology and Evolution, the study aims to identify patterns of changes in ...