The flowering tree has a burst of ants

Ants fossils are trapped in amber ( Photo: LiveScience )

The emergence of the first flowering plants 100 million years ago may have led to the outbreak of ants, scientists argued.

The 11,800 modern ants that are known today seem to have arisen from a single species millions of years ago, but in the past scientists knew little about their evolutionary history.

The team from Harvard University, USA analyzed the ant fossils trapped in amber and found that the ancestors of modern ants ran back and forth on the ground 140 to 180 million years ago.

However, these ants differentiate at a very slow rate. Until the plants have flowers, or angiosperms, they sprout on this planet.

" A turning point occurred 100 million years ago, and ants began to differentiate frantically, " said Corrie Moreau, co-author of the study. " This is also the time when we come across the first seeded forest ."

These forests discharge many leaves to the ground, creating many caves and habitats suitable for specialized and diverse species of ants. Today, the most abundant species are still found in vegetation mulch and just below the surface soil. The forest canopy is also the favorite house of ants, in which some species also learn how to glide back to the tree's nest if it accidentally falls down.

Other insects exploded population following the birth of flowering plants. They also live under the leaf layer, creating a huge source of food for ants. And in turn, it is the flowers that become the favorite food of ants.

Today, ants account for about 15-20% of animal biomass worldwide. Like cadavers, they keep the ground clean by clearing dead debris.

T. An