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old fossil beetle preserved in Burmese amber from the age of dinosaurs. The well-preserved body of this distant relative of modern fireflies has provided researchers with a unique insight into the evolution of communication systems in bioluminescent beetles and their relatives. The newly described species, Icaroramus perisi, possessed a light-producing organ on its abdomen as well as extraordinarily complex antennae that probably functioned as a kind of chemical radar. The results of the research were published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

“This fossil beetle is remarkable because it combines two forms of communication that are central to modern fireflies and their relatives: chemical signals and light. Thanks to its exceptional preservation in amber, we can study such an unusual combination of traits deep in evolutionary time,” says Yan-Da Li, lead author of the study.

The antennae revealed exceptional sensory equipment

The new species of bioluminescent beetle was found in Burmese amber, which preserves extremely fine anatomical details of insects from the mid-Cretaceous. This allowed the researchers to study not only the overall body shape, but also the complex structure of the antennae and the abdominal structures.

The antennae of the new beetle have 12 segments, most of which bear two morphologically distinct pairs of long branches. Such an antennal structure has not previously been known in any living or fossil beetle. According to the authors, these antennae probably greatly increased the sensory surface area and enabled highly sensitive detection of chemical signals, especially sex pheromones.

Pheromones for courtship, light for defence

“In modern fireflies and related groups, we often see a close link between the shape of the antennae and the way species communicate. Males of species that rely on pheromones frequently have elaborately branched antennae capable of detecting even very faint chemical signals. In Icaroramus perisi, this specialization reached an extraordinary level,” explains Robin Kundrata from the Department of Zoology at the Faculty of Science.

Interestingly, Icaroramus perisi also had a structure on its abdomen that the researchers interpret as a light-producing organ. However, this does not necessarily mean that light was used primarily in courtship, as it is in many modern fireflies. The authors suggest that mate location may have been mediated mainly by pheromones, while bioluminescence may have served instead as a warning signal to predators. A similar function of light is also known in some living bioluminescent beetles.

The fossil changes our view of the evolution of bioluminescence

“The discovery shows that the evolution of bioluminescence was not a simple story leading directly to modern fireflies. In the early evolution of this group, light may have served primarily as a warning, antipredatory signal and was only later recruited for sexual communication in some lineages. This fossil therefore reveals an evolutionary experiment that has no exact counterpart today,” says Chenyang Cai, co-author of the study.

The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B under the title “A firefly relative that smelled and glowed: evidence for complex signalling systems in Cretaceous lampyroids”. It is part of long-term research into fossil and living elateroid beetles carried out by the team of Robin Kundrata at Palacký University Olomouc.

How can we protect consumers from greenwashing? Do we have the right to have products repaired? Where does the convenience of digital services end, and where does consumer manipulation begin? And can the law really contribute to a more sustainable future? These were the very questions addressed by the second edition of the international summer school ‘Sustainability and Consumer Protection’, organised by the Faculty of Law at Palacký University.

The programme linked current sustainability issues to consumer protection law and offered participants the opportunity not only to attend specialist lectures, but, above all, to engage in discussion, practical work, and the sharing of experiences across different legal systems.

Around 30 students from various European universities travelled to Olomouc to discuss, alongside Czech and international experts, the challenges that are increasingly significant for consumer law. During the summer school, they addressed topics such as excessive consumption in the digital environment, greenwashing, dark patterns, the right to repair, passengers’ rights and the concept of reducing consumption.

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The emphasis was on participants' active involvement. The students did not merely attend lectures; they also worked in groups, analysed case studies and, at the end of the programme, took part in a mini moot court – a simulated court hearing on a fictitious legal case. It was precisely the practical part of the programme that enabled participants to examine individual topics from various perspectives and develop legal arguments in an international setting.

“We are delighted that the ‘Sustainability and Consumer Protection’ summer school has, in such a short space of time, become one of the most sought-after courses at our faculty. For us as lecturers, it is exceptionally inspiring to see the interest and energy with which students from various European universities discuss topics that will fundamentally shape consumer law in the coming years,” said Blanka Vítová from the Department of Private Law and Civil Procedure at the Faculty of Law, Palacký University, who organised the summer school together with her colleague from the department, Rita Simon. Experts from partner universities abroad also took part in the teaching, including from the University of Silesia in Katowice, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Debrecen and the University of Groningen, which gave the programme a distinct European and comparative dimension.

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The summer school also featured a supporting programme that enabled participants to get to know Olomouc, the university, and the surrounding area. Highlights included a joint intercultural dinner, where participants sampled dishes from various European countries, and rafting in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area. In collaboration with Palacký University’s Sustainable University Department, a guided tour was also organised for participants, focusing on how Palacký University incorporates the principles of sustainability into its day-to-day operations. Thanks in part to these activities, the summer school became not only an academic experience but also a personally and culturally enriching one.

“For us, the summer school was not just an academic programme. It was an opportunity to create a space where students can learn, ask questions and debate, but also get to know researchers and colleagues from a different academic culture, as well as Olomouc itself. It is precisely this combination of expertise, international cooperation and an informal atmosphere that, in my view, gives the summer school its unique character,” added Rita Simon on behalf of the organisers.

The second edition of the summer school confirmed that the link between sustainability and consumer protection resonates with students and is increasingly significant in legal education. The Faculty is thus continuing to develop an international platform that brings together academic discussion, practical teaching and current societal challenges.