Paleontologists in northern Myanmar have unearthed a remarkable chunk of Cretaceous amber containing an entire colony of previously unknown giant ants, dubbed Gigantomyrmex rex. The find, published in Nature, includes over 50 specimens, ranging from a massive two-inch queen to specialized soldier and worker castes, providing the first definitive proof of complex social stratification in ants as early as 100 million years ago.
The preservation is so exquisite that researchers can observe microscopic details of the ants' antennae and mandibles, as well as remnants of the pheromone-producing glands used for communication. This discovery suggests that the social evolution of Hymenoptera was far more advanced during the age of the dinosaurs than previously theorized, with established hierarchies that mirror modern-day colony behaviors.