Why did the stag beetle Prosopocoilus hachijoensis lose its ability to fly?

The stag beetle Prosopocoilus hachijoensis is the only flightless species of the genus Prosopocoilus in Japan. Researchers at University of Tsukuba investigated the mechanisms underlying the loss of flight by comparing this beetle with closely related species that are capable of flight. Their analyses are published in The Science of Nature.

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