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The Evolution of Ants: A Social Butterfly’s Story

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Even the earliest ants may have been social butterflies. Ants fossilized in 100-million-year-old amber have sensory equipment that suggests they had complex social lives similar to their modern-day ancestors, researchers report June 14 in Science Advances.

The Discovery

Ryo Taniguchi, a paleontologist at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, and colleagues examined three fossilized ants of one of the oldest known ant species, Gerontoformica gracilis. The fossils, preserved in amber, were unearthed in northern Myanmar and are now owned by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The team focused on the ants’ antennae, which have key tools for communication between nestmates (SN: 4/4/16).

The Research

The researchers developed a specialized microscopy technique for imaging multiple sides of the fossil antennae to better examine the ants’ sensilla — tiny projections that detect environmental cues. They compared the fossil ants’ suite of sensilla to those of six modern ant species.

The Findings

G. gracilis had two types of sensilla that are known only in ants. These organs are used for identifying nestmates and detecting their alarm pheromones, which notify other ants of threats to the colony. Together, these unique sensilla help ants live together and defend the colony as a single unit.

The Implications

Today, many ant species create massive colonies thousands to millions strong, but the researchers argue that the fossil record suggests that the earliest ants lived in very small colonies of a few dozen nestmates. Despite this, "we can consider that ants lived in a highly advanced social system even in their early evolutionary stages," Taniguchi says.

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Conclusion

The discovery of ancient ant fossils with complex social structures suggests that ants may have been social butterflies long before they became an ecological force in ecosystems around the world. AI legalese decoder can help researchers and scientists analyze and understand the implications of this discovery, providing valuable insights into the evolution of ants and their social behavior.

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