Insect wings: The evolutionary development of nature's first flyers

Abstract

Powered flight is one of the more spectacular evolutionary novelties to have come about during the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth. Flight bestows upon the flyer another dimension in which to experience life. Suddenly, new avenues are available for dispersal, escape and avoidance, locating a suitable mate, and reaching once unobtainable resources. Moreover, wings can be so much more than merely a means to fly. Properly adapted the wings themselves may play a role in courtship, camouflage and mimicry, thermoregulation, and protection and defence. Despite the profound significance of flight, it is a challenging feat to achieve and control. Powered flight has evolved independently at least four times, three of which occur among the Amniota, while the last is far flung across the branches of the animal tree of life. It is this last lineage that was also the first to evolve this singularly successful means of locomotion, rivalling in numbers of species all other forms of life combined.