Myrmecophily: Beetle Trapped In Amber For 52 Million Years And Social Parasitism
Sunday, October 5, 2014 - 09:31
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A 52-million-year old beetle was able to live alongside ants—preying on their eggs and usurping resources—within the comfort of their nest. Somehow. The fossil, encased in a piece of amber from India, is the oldest-known example of this kind of social parasitism, known as "myrmecophily." The research also shows that the diversification of these stealth beetles, which infiltrate ant nests around the world today, correlates with the ecological rise of modern ants. read more