Two ants of different species fighting and preserved in amber from 100 million years ago shine new light on the ancient insects’ evolution, according to researchers at the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Kansas.
Recently discovered in Myanmar, the ambers also contain giant soldier termites and foraging worker ants. It’s said the findings provides evidence that “advanced sociality” was present in both ants and termites millions of years prior to what was previously believed.
Co-author of the study, Dave Grimaldi, said , “Ecologically, advanced sociality is one of the most important adaptive features for animals. All ants and termites are social, and they are ubiquitous across terrestrial landscapes, with thousands of described species and probably even more that we haven’t yet found.”
