Predatory birds from the Jurassic may have driven cicada evolution for millions of years

An illustration of a bird flying after a giant cicada .

The rapid evolution of cicadas' flight ability may have been spurred by the emergence of predatory birds, new research suggests.

These insects' bodies and wing shapes changed dramatically over the course of 160 million years, at the same time birds began to dominate the skies as aerial predators, according to the research, published Friday (Oct. 25) in the journal Science Advances.