Overview
- The peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution examines six rare syninclusions spanning the Cretaceous to the Oligocene.
- Three specimens place ants in close proximity to mites, which the authors propose could reflect phoresy or parasitism.
- A Burmese amber case includes a myrmecomorphic spider that appears to mimic ants, suggesting an ecological association.
- The samples capture broad biodiversity, preserving stem, crown and hell ants alongside mites, spiders, mosquitoes, snails, millipedes, termites and plant material.
- The team measured inter-organism distances and argues closer placement is likelier to record interactions, while urging advanced imaging to test for attachment structures and reduce interpretive uncertainty.