How Old Are Ants As a Species?
WouterEarlier, scientists believed ants arose in the Cretaceous period, around 140 million years ago. However, new fossil data indicate that ants arose as early as 140 to 168 million years ago.
While scientists agree that ants are closely related to stinging wasps, they have not yet determined the exact origins of ants. Scientists first sought to determine the origin of ants by studying the fossils of their ancestors. Some of these fossils are 100 million years old.
Scientists also found that ants arose in concert with flowering plants. Flowering plants provided new habitats for ants and provided food. Ants specialized to live in leaf litter and soil. Some ants built simple nests in the forest floor or treetops. Others preyed on pests or scavenged for plant fruit.
Another interesting fact about ants is that they have an interesting life cycle. In fact, the females in an ant colony can live for several years. They have wings, and they may lay eggs.
The lifespan of fully mature ants varies greatly depending on the species. Some species live for a few weeks, others for a few months, and others for a few years. The longest known ant queen lived for 28 years.
The oldest known ant species is Martialis heureka. This tiny insect is probably 120 million years old, and it resembles a miniature wasp. It was originally found in 2003 in a Brazilian rainforest by scientists from the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe, Germany. They believe that the species will provide valuable information about the early evolution of ants.
