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16-Million-Year-Old Amber Fossil Reveals First Caribbean Basiceros Ant

NJIT researchers identify Basiceros enana, a newly discovered extinct dirt ant species, shedding light on the genus’s evolutionary history and ancient extinction.

Image
Image
Photomicrograph of Basiceros enana, a newly discovered extinct dirt ant species preserved in Dominican amber, formed from tree resin that fossilized millions of years ago. Credit: Gianpiero Fiorentino (NJIT)
Illustration of the process of volume rendering and measurement taken using volume renderings of Basiceros enana. Image credit: Fiorentino et al., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2171.

Overview

  • Scientists discovered Basiceros enana, the first fossilized Caribbean dirt ant, preserved in 16-million-year-old Dominican amber.
  • The fossil reveals that this cryptic genus inhabited the Caribbean before local extinction during the Miocene epoch.
  • Basiceros enana, measuring 5.13 mm, is notably smaller than its modern relatives, which reach up to 9 mm in length.
  • Advanced Micro-CT imaging shows the ant already possessed specialized camouflage hairs, key to its crypsis, 16 million years ago.
  • The study suggests ancient land bridges may have enabled the genus's dispersal to the Caribbean, with extinction driven by habitat loss or competition.