“Amber additions are representative of possible interactions in between various organisms forming the environment,” stated Dr. Jose de la Fuente, a paleontologist at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research.

“The recognition and morphological characterization of fossil ants in amber with other additions of bugs supplies a picture of life in the world countless years back.”

In the brand-new research study, Dr. de la Fuente and associates examined 4 pieces of Cretaceous amber (99 million years of ages), one piece of Eocene amber (from roughly 56-34 million years ago), and one piece of Oligocene amber (from around 34-23 million years ago).

The specimens consisted of ancient ants and other organisms, an unusual phenomenon called syninclusion.

“The earliest ants, which were very first discovered in the Upper Cretaceous, are called stem ants and didn’t leave contemporary descendants; all ants alive today progressed from crown ants,” the paleontologists stated.

“Both types are discovered in the 6 pieces of amber we studied, in addition to hell ants, which developed from stem ants.”

The scientists utilized effective microscopic lens to analyze the specimens, determine the various types discovered within, and determine the range in between ants and other types.

In 3 of the 6 pieces of amber, they discovered ants in close distance to termites.

In the very first piece, they discovered a crown ant, wasp, and 2 termites so near to the ant that they might have been taking a trip on it.

The 2nd piece included a stem ant and a spider, while the 3rd specimen consisted of a hell ant, a snail, a millipede, and some unidentifiable pests.

The 4th specimen consisted of a stem ant and a mite, about 4 mm apart.

The 5th piece likewise consisted of 3 various ant types near to a mite and some termites, in addition to poorly-preserved mosquitoes and a winged pest.

In the 6th specimen, the researchers discovered a stem ant together with a likely parasitic wasp and a spider. The ant appears to have actually been eating something.

It is resting versus another insect addition, which might be a worm or a larva, however as there’s no indicator that the 2 were communicating, the researchers believe this was a coincidence.

“The closest ant syninclusions are most likely to show habits and interactions in between these organisms,” Dr. de la Fuente stated.

“The proposed ant-mite interactions in the 4th specimen might show 2 possible circumstances.”

“First, a commensal specific temporal relationship where termites connect to ants free of charge trip dispersal to brand-new environments.”

“Second, a parasitism when termites eat the ant host throughout transportation.”

Pieces of amber that include ants are uncommon, and pieces of amber that include numerous types are rarer, there is some released proof that points to interactions in between termites and ants, in some cases equally advantageous.

Future research study might assist clarify this by utilizing micro-CT scanning to search for accessory structures on termites which would have enabled them to climb onboard ants for travel functions.

“To enhance the analysis of interactions in between various organisms in fossil amber additions, future research study ought to utilize sophisticated imaging methods,” Dr. de la Fuente stated.

“Nevertheless, these outcomes offer proof of insect habits and eco-friendly practices.”

The group’s paper appears today in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

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José de la Fuente & & Agustín Estrada-Peña. 2026. Description of fossil amber with ant syninclusions. Front. Ecol. Evol 14; doi: 10.3389/ fevo.2026.1724595