Tiny insects trapped in fossilized tree resin are offering scientists a rare window into life on Earth millions of years ago.
A new study of amber pieces from the time of the dinosaurs suggests that these perfectly preserved insects can reveal not just what ancient ants looked like, but how they lived, traveled, and interacted with other creatures.
Researchers in Spain examined six unusual amber samples that each contained multiple species preserved together.
This rare situation, known as a “syninclusion,” allowed scientists to explore whether the insects died together by chance or were actually interacting before they became trapped in sticky resin.
Ants were the main focus because they play such important roles in ecosystems today, from soil health to seed dispersal.
The samples included several types of ancient ants, including early forms called “stem ants,” which have no living descendants, as well as “crown ants,” the ancestors of modern ants.
One sample even contained a strange extinct group known as “hell ants,” which had unusual jaws unlike anything seen today.
The amber came from different time periods, mostly from the Cretaceous period about 99 million years ago, when dinosaurs still ruled the planet.
Using powerful microscopes, the researchers identified the species inside each piece and measured how close they were to one another.
In several cases, ants were found very near mites—tiny arachnids related to spiders. In one piece, a wasp, a crown ant, and two mites were packed so closely together that the mites may have been riding on the ant’s body. Scientists think this could represent a real biological relationship. Some mites today hitch rides on larger insects to travel to new locations, a strategy called phoresy. Others are parasites that feed on their hosts.
Another piece showed a stem ant next to a mite only a few millimeters away, while yet another contained several ant species near a mite and termites. These close groupings suggest that the insects may have been interacting shortly before being trapped.
Not all the groupings indicated cooperation or conflict, however. One amber piece preserved a stem ant beside a parasitic wasp and a spider. The ant appeared to be feeding on another small creature, but researchers believe the nearby animals may simply have been caught in the resin at the same time by coincidence.
Other samples included combinations such as ants with spiders, snails, millipedes, and unidentified insects. Some spiders may even have mimicked ants in appearance to sneak close to them without being attacked, a behavior seen in modern species.
Scientists caution that being preserved together does not always prove interaction. Insects that are not touching could simply have been victims of the same sticky trap. Still, the study shows that closer distances between insects are more likely to reflect real relationships.
Future research using advanced scanning technology may reveal more details, such as structures that allowed mites to cling to ants. Even with remaining uncertainties, these amber fossils provide valuable clues about the behavior and ecological roles of insects that lived alongside dinosaurs, helping scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems in remarkable detail.
Source: KSR.
