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Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

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Published on: October 4, 2024

Fossil evidence for the early ant evolution.

Vincent Perrichot¹, Sébastien Lacau, Didier Néraudeau

¹Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany. vincent.perrichot@neuf.fr

Die Naturwissenschaften

|September 25, 2007

Summary

The origin of ants (Formicidae) and their social structures remain debated. Reviewing Cretaceous fossils and paleogeography suggests ants may have originated in forest litter alongside flowering plants.

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Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Ecology

Background:

Ants are extensively studied, yet their precise origin and the evolution of eusociality lack consensus.
The fossil and biogeographical records of Cretaceous ants are crucial for understanding their early history.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the fossil and biogeographical data of Cretaceous ants.
To investigate the origin of Formicidae and eusociality using early ant evidence.
To reconstruct the paleoenvironment of early ant habitats.

Main Methods:

Analysis of fossil and biogeographical records of Cretaceous ants.
Examination of morphological features and preservation in amber for evidence of castes and eusociality.
Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction based on fossil flora and fauna.

Main Results:

The most primitive ant subfamily, Sphecomyrminae, likely originated in the Early Cretaceous, influenced by palaeogeography.
Early ants preserved in amber show evidence of true castes and eusociality.
Mid-Cretaceous amber forests in France were moist, tropical, and supported diverse angiosperms.

Conclusions:

Ants may have initially radiated in forest ground litter.
The rise of angiosperms potentially coincided with and influenced the origin and evolution of ants.
Understanding early ant evolution is linked to Cretaceous ecosystems and plant diversification.