US EditionInsects in Amber Reveal Ecosystem when Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth
Spanish scientists analyzed six amber samples from three geological periods to reveal ancient ant interactions with mites, wasps, spiders, and termites shaping past ecosystems.
- Scientists in Spain scrutinized six amber samples including four Cretaceous pieces around 99 million years old, plus Eocene and Oligocene amber, to study ancient ecosystems.
- Researchers aim to infer ecological roles like pollinators and parasites from amber syninclusions, prioritizing ants due to their ecosystem importance, de la Fuente said.
- In Case 1 the team found a Crown ant with a wasp and two mites so close they may have been travelling on the ant, examined using powerful microscopes.
- Researchers note Stem ants left no modern descendants while Crown ants gave rise to current species, and caution that proximity could be coincidental, recommending micro-CT scanning for clarification.
- Future micro-CT scanning could reveal mite attachment structures, distinguishing phoretic rides from parasitism, while rare syninclusions like Hell ants with a snail and millipede enrich ecosystem reconstructions.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Although there are many ambers with some living being inside, fewer are those that include two or more living beings. It is the case of a couple of mosquitoes trapped in amber 130 million years ago that showed that, unlike now, then the males also sucked the blood. But what is almost extraordinary is that in one of these gems there are several organisms interacting, either eating each other, parasitizing or cooperating. The new edition of the sc…
Six rare pieces of amber contain ants trapped alongside mites, spiders, and wasps. This may not be a coincidence. Amber is actually fossilized resin. Millions of years ago, this resin oozed from trees. Small animals and plant parts could become trapped in it. For scientists, good pieces of amber are priceless: amber […] Want to know more about science? Read the latest articles on Scientias.nl .
Fossil Amber Preserves Ecological Interactions between Ancient Ants and Other Organisms
Fossils trapped in amber aren’t just beautiful, they may preserve real ecological interactions, including possible parasitism or commensal relationships between ants and mites, as revealed by a new, cutting-edge morphological study of six specimens of Baltic, Dominican and Burmese amber. The post Fossil Amber Preserves Ecological Interactions between Ancient Ants and Other Organisms appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
Insects trapped in amber could reveal much about their role in the ecosystems of the past: pollinators, parasites, predators and prey. But how many of the insects preserved together reflect interactions during their lifetime and how many are just unfortunate coincidences? A scientific team led by the Institute of Research in Cinegetic Resources (IREC-CSIC), affiliated to the Castilla La Mancha University, has examined six key samples that preser…
Fossil Amber Captured An Ant Mid-Meal 99 Million Years Ago, Preserving A Rare Snapshot Of Behavior
That frozen instant, locked inside a piece of Burmese amber smaller than a matchbook, is what researchers are now calling one of the rarest behavioral snapshots ever preserved in the fossil record. The post Fossil Amber Captured An Ant Mid-Meal 99 Million Years Ago, Preserving A Rare Snapshot Of Behavior appeared first on StudyFinds.
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