"Frozen in Time: 38 Million-Year-Old Mating Termites Preserved in Amber"

A pair of fossilized termites, believed to be 38 million years old, has been found in amber in a mating position, providing insight into the behavior of ancient insects. Researchers, including Auburn University Assistant Professor Nobuaki Mizumoto, studied the rare find and believe the termites were engaged in a tandem run when they became trapped in tree sap, which eventually hardened into amber. The team's findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, offer a unique glimpse into the mating behavior of an extinct termite species and shed light on the fossilization process.