Ants, Termites, and the Evolutionary Feast: How Mammals Conquered a Tiny Kingdom

A groundbreaking study traces the rise of ant- and termite-eating mammals, revealing at least a dozen independent evolutionary events where mammals specialized in this unusual diet. Following the dinosaur extinction, ant and termite populations exploded, creating a novel ecological niche. Researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 4,100 mammal species, finding that obligate myrmecophagy (exclusive ant and termite consumption) evolved independently multiple times. This dietary shift required significant physiological adaptations, and remarkably, once a lineage adopted this strategy, it rarely reverted. The study suggests that this specialized diet, while potentially limiting, may provide an advantage in a changing climate, where large social insect colonies are thriving.