A Student Unearthed a Rare 75-Million-Year-Old Dragonfly Fossil in an Alberta Park, Marking a First of Its Kind

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Apr 4, 2026 - 13:38

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A Student Unearthed a Rare 75-Million-Year-Old Dragonfly Fossil in an Alberta Park, Marking a First of Its Kind

A fossilized dragonfly wing discovered in Alberta has been identified as a new species and the first from Canada’s dinosaur-era rocks. Found in Dinosaur Provincial Park, the specimen fills a 30-million-year gap in dragonfly evolution. The research was conducted by a team from McGill University.

The fossil was uncovered in 2023 during a field course led by Professor Hans Larsson. According to André Mueller, a Master’s student at McGill and lead author of the study, the team had been splitting rocks in search of leaf fossils when the wing was found. The discovery was unexpected, as insect remains had not been previously documented in this context.

The specimen comes from the Dinosaur Park Formation, dated to about 75 million years ago. This formation is known for its dinosaur fossils, while insect evidence has been limited. Prior to this find, the only recorded insect from the site was a microscopic aphid preserved in amber.

A Rare Insect Fossil In Dinosaur Provincial Park

The fossil was found in an area primarily associated with vertebrate remains. As Mueller explained that the team was not expecting to encounter insect material while working at the site. The wing is preserved as an impression fossil, representing a different preservation mode from the previously known amber specimen.

Alexandre Demers-Potvin, a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University added that this discovery introduces impression fossils as a source of insect data in the formation. He stated that:

“We’ve now started finding more insect fossils by expanding where and how we search. The diversity of insect life during this time was likely much greater than we thought.”

Fossil Of A Dragonfly Preserved In Rock, Showing Wing Structures And Body Details That Helped Identify The Species. — _{Fossil of a dragonfly preserved in rock, showing wing structures and body details that helped identify the species.}
_{Credit: McGill University}

A New Species Has Been Identified

The fossil has been classified as a new species named Cordualadensa acorni. The name honors John Acorn, an entomologist and lecturer at the University of Alberta. According to the study published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, the fossil’s characteristics required the creation of a new family, Cordualadensidae.

“This is the first ever dinosaur-aged dragonfly found in Canada,” Mueller said. “Its wingspan was about the width of a human hand, and while small, it would have been an important part of the Cretaceous ecosystem—a tasty raptor snack, no doubt.”

A Tiny Fossil With Big Evolutionary Secrets

The fossil fills a 30-million-year gap in the evolutionary history of dragonflies. It is also the first known North American member of the group Cavilabiata from this period. The structure of the wing indicates adaptation for gliding flight, a trait associated with migratory dragonflies.

“The wing anatomy tells us this species was adapted for gliding; a trait associated with migratory dragonflies today and possibly a key to their success,” said Hans Larsson, who is a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, “This specimen also provides insight into what life was like in Canada 75 million years ago, adding an important new missing piece of the ecological puzzle of one of the most diverse dinosaur-bearing sites in the world.”

Demers-Potvin pointed out that, the discovery doubles the number of known insect fossils from the Dinosaur Park Formation.