Paleontologists believe that bees appeared on the earth about tens of millions of years ago. In the long process of natural evolution, the earth's biosphere has changed several times, and many species have been eliminated and disappeared from the earth. Natural selection, the survival of the fittest in the process of evolution, bees successfully use propolis, a natural substance, to protect themselves and adapt to the harsh living environment, thus evolving into a highly dynamic social insect. This evolutionary view is suitable for western bees, but it is a mystery for oriental bees. Because the oriental bee does not have the ability to collect and process propolis, it can still survive. Therefore, the role of propolis in bee evolution and in bee colony biology has not been fully understood, and the answer remains to be revealed by researchers. Because propolis is the product of western bees that do not exist in China, it is natural for foreign countries to know propolis earlier than China. As early as 3000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians knew about propolis and used it as an antiseptic material for mummies.
The content of this paper comes from: Investigation and Identification of Species Resources by China Agricultural Publishing House.