Unprecedented discovery: Goethe and a 40-million-year-old ant
Using modern imaging techniques, scientists in Germany have identified an extinct ant species in a piece of amber.
Researchers have uncovered a roughly 40‑million‑year‑old ant encased in a piece of amber once owned by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
The insect wasn’t visible to the naked eye, so scientists had to rely on modern imaging techniques, according to Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
“The ant belongs to the extinct species Ctenobethylus goepperti […], which is very common in amber,” explained Bernhard Bock of the Phyletisches Museum of the University of Jena. “Thanks to its excellent preservation and the extensive investigations, however, we were able to describe it in greater detail than ever before and gain new information about the species and its relationships.”
3D reconstruction
For the first time, researchers were able to examine the ant’s interior, creating interactive 3D models that showcase the discovery in striking detail.
“We have fully processed the specimen and, based on the newly acquired information, created a 3D reconstruction that is available online,” said Daniel Tröger of the University of Jena. “This model helps colleagues worldwide to identify and compare further fossils of this species.”
Goethe’s amber collection, sourced from the Baltic region, contains around 40 pieces. In addition to the ant, two mosquitoes have been found trapped in other samples. The collection’s original owner likely had no idea it contained biological time capsules millions of years old.
All pieces are preserved at the Goethe Museum in Weimar. “The results demonstrate the value of such historical collections,” Bock concluded. “It is truly fascinating that an object originating from his hand and his era - when this science was just beginning - can still enrich us so much today.”
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