These beauties are amongst the oldest groups of flying insects known to science.
Their fossil record gives us an incredible glimpse into how flight evolved and how these remarkable predators have remained successful for over 300 million years.
From giant griffinflies soaring above Carboniferous swamps to the shimmering dragonflies zipping around your backyard pond, these insects have endured massive planetary changes and extinction events.
I found my first dragonfly fossil up near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, at the McAbee Fossil Beds in the late 1990s. It was a thrilling moment that I remember well to this day.
The origins of dragonflies date back to the Carboniferous, roughly 320 million years ago, when Earth was dominated by vast swampy forests filled with giant plants, amphibians, and weird yet wonderful arthropods.
The earliest known dragonfly relatives come from this time. But they weren’t quite like the dragonflies we know today. These ancient insects belonged to a now-extinct order called Protodonata, or "griffinflies," and some were true giants.
One of the most famous fossil dragonfly-like insects is Meganeura, a massive predator from around 300 million years ago. With a wingspan of up to 70 centimeters (28 inches), it’s often called the largest insect to have ever lived.
Meganeura looked and behaved much like modern dragonflies, with powerful wings, sharp mandibles, and excellent eyesight—perfect for catching prey mid-flight. But unlike modern dragonflies, Meganeura lacked some of the refined flight control structures and wing coupling mechanisms we see in living species.
One reason for their size likely comes down to oxygen levels. During the Carboniferous period, atmospheric oxygen was much higher than today—about 35%, compared to our current 21%. This allowed insects, which breathe through small tubes called tracheae, to grow much larger than they can now.
As oxygen levels decreased over time, the enormous sizes of insects like Meganeura became unsustainable, and dragonflies gradually evolved into smaller, more maneuverable forms.
By the Jurassic period (~200 million years ago), the ancestors of today’s dragonflies had begun to appear. These early representatives of the order Odonata had split into two main groups:
- Anisoptera – what we now call true dragonflies
- Zygoptera – damselflies, their more delicate cousins
These insects had developed more sophisticated wing structures and jointed flight muscles, giving them the remarkable agility we see today. Fossils from this time show dragonflies that look strikingly similar to modern species.
Dragonfly fossils have been found all over the world, preserved in ancient lake beds, fine-grained shales, and even amber. Some of the best specimens come from:
- Germany’s Solnhofen Limestone (Late Jurassic) with its remarkable preservation
- China’s Liaoning Province (Early Cretaceous)
- Montana and Colorado, USA (Late Cretaceous to Paleogene)
These fossils often show remarkable detail, including wing veins and body segmentation, offering a rare glimpse into insect anatomy from millions of years ago.
They’re also key indicators of freshwater ecosystem health, which makes understanding their history even more relevant today.
