"38 Million-Year-Old Amber Fossil Preserves Termites in Mating Position"

A 38 million-year-old piece of amber containing a pair of Electrotermes affinis termites has provided insight into the mating behavior of these long-extinct insects. The fossilized termites were found in a side-by-side position, suggesting they were likely engaged in tandem running, a common mating behavior in living termites. Researchers used 3D imaging to identify the male and female termites and recreated their final moments in a lab with living termites to understand how they got trapped in the resin. This discovery sheds light on the ancient behavior of termites and provides a rare glimpse into their mating rituals.