Scientists have discovered fossilized insects hidden inside pieces of amber that once belonged to the famous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Using advanced imaging technology, researchers were able to reveal creatures that had been trapped inside fossilized tree resin for millions of years.
Goethe’s amber collection, now housed in the Goethe National Museum and managed by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, consists of 40 pieces of Baltic amber. Two of those specimens contained fossilized animals that were almost impossible to see with the naked eye because the amber pieces had never been polished.
To investigate further, researchers at the University of Jena turned to modern scanning techniques. At the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg, they used synchrotron micro computed tomography to create detailed three-dimensional images of the fossils. The scans revealed three insects: a fungus gnat, a black fly, and an ancient ant.
Ancient ant reveals new details
The ant attracted the most attention in the discoveries.
“The ant belongs to an extinct species†Ctenobathylus goepperti (Mayer, 1868), which is very common in amber,” explains Bernhard Bock of the Phyletisches Museum of the University of Jena. ”However, thanks to its excellent preservation and extensive investigation, we were able to describe it in more detail than ever before and gain new information about the species and its relationships.”
Because the specimen is exceptionally preserved, scientists were able to examine features that had never been documented in such detail. The scans showed fine hair on the worker ant’s body and even allowed researchers to visualize internal skeletal structures within the head and thorax. These observations provide valuable new information about the anatomy and evolution of the species.
The research team also created a full digital reconstruction of the fossil.
“We have completely processed the sample and, based on the newly obtained information, have created a 3D reconstruction that is available online,” says Daniel Tröger of the University of Jena. “This model helps colleagues around the world identify and compare other fossils of this species.”
Comparison with modern ant species LiometopamFound today in warm parts of North America and Europe, it provides clues about how extinct species might have lived. Researchers believe that ancient ants likely built large nests in trees, which may help explain why they are commonly preserved in amber.
Goethe’s relation to amber
Although Goethe possessed amber samples, he showed relatively little interest in amber other than its optical properties. He also ground lenses from fossilized resin to study color effects as part of his work on color theory.
By Goethe’s time, scientists had begun to study amber and the fossils preserved within it. Early scientific publications on the subject were available in his personal library. However, the broader scientific significance of these fossils was not yet clear, and the discoveries being made today far exceeded the imagination of researchers of that era.
Bernhard Bock says, “Goethe is regarded as the founder of morphology and would probably be pleased to see how we were able to gain valuable insights into this field using completely new methods.” “At the same time, the results demonstrate the value of such historical collections. It is really fascinating that an object produced by their hands and from their era, when this science was just beginning, can still enrich us so much today.”
The findings highlight how museum collections collected centuries ago can continue to lead to important scientific discoveries. Thanks to modern imaging techniques, objects that once seemed ordinary may now reveal hidden stories from Earth’s distant past.