So How Did The Insects Get Inside In The First Place?

There are a few theories behind the creatures’ arrival and survival in the cave. One of them is that during the Miocene Epoch, which happened approximately 5.5 Million Years ago – the same estimated time as the age of the cave – there was a change in climate. This change made the Atlantic sea stop flowing into the Mediterranean sea, making it dry out. Thus, this could have made the animals search for a new place to live. But this theory has never been proven as true.

Another Theory

Murrell explains that a more plausible theory is this. “It’s very likely that the bacteria have been there a lot longer than five million years, but that the insects became trapped there around that time. They could have simply fallen in and become trapped when the limestone cast dropped, sealing the cave until it was discovered again in 1986.”