Advanced imaging revealed previously unseen fossil insects inside amber from Goethe’s collection.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the celebrated German writer and thinker, also built a personal collection of natural objects during his lifetime. One part of that legacy is an amber set now cared for by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar at the Goethe National Museum: 40 pieces from the Baltic region that, at first glance, look like little more than warm, golden stones.
When researchers at the University of Jena examined two of those pieces, they discovered that they were quietly holding three fossil animals. The inclusions are so faint in the unpolished amber that Goethe, despite his interest in observing nature, likely never realized he had insects preserved inside what amount to biological time capsules from millions of years ago.
To find out exactly what was trapped within the resin, the team used a non-destructive approach more like medical imaging than traditional fossil prep. At the German Electron Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg, they scanned the amber with synchrotron micro-computed tomography, producing detailed 3D views of a fungus gnat, a black fly, and an ant sealed inside.
A Look Inside the Ant
The ant stood out immediately because its preservation was unusually informative.
“The ant belongs to the extinct species †Ctenobethylus goepperti (Mayr, 1868), which is very common in amber,” explains Bernhard Bock from the Phyletisches Museum of the University of Jena. “Thanks to its excellent preservation and the extensive investigations, however, we were able to describe it in greater detail than ever before and gain new information about the species and its relationships.”
The scans did more than show surface details like fine body hairs. For the first time, the researchers were able to look inside the worker ant and visualize internal skeletal structures in the head and thorax, adding rare anatomical evidence that can help scientists better understand how this extinct species fits into the broader story of ant evolution.
“We have fully processed the specimen and, based on the newly acquired information, created a 3D reconstruction that is available online,” says Daniel Tröger from the University of Jena. “This model helps colleagues worldwide to identify and compare further fossils of this species.”
Based on similarities to the ant genus Liometopum, which today lives in North America or warmer regions of Europe, conclusions can be drawn about the lifestyle of these extinct ants. The ant from Goethe’s amber presumably built large nests in trees, which could also explain why the species is so frequently found in amber.
Goethe and Amber
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe himself showed little interest in amber throughout his life—apart from its potential optical properties. For example, he ground lenses from the fossilized tree resin in order to observe specific color spectra for his theory of colors. Although systematic research into the material and the fossils it contains began in the mid-18th century, and early scientific publications can also be found in his library, the significance of these studies for his own fields of interest was not yet foreseeable.
“Goethe is regarded as the founder of morphology and would likely have been delighted to see how we were able to gain valuable insights in this field using entirely new methods,” says Bernhard Bock. “At the same time, the results demonstrate the value of such historical collections. It is truly fascinating that an object originating from his hand and his era—when this science was just beginning—can still enrich us so much today.”
Reference: “Discovery of Goethe’s amber ant: its phylogenetic and evolutionary implications” by Brendon E. Boudinot, Bernhard L. Bock, Daniel Tröger, Michael Weingardt, Jörg U. Hammel, Veit Grabe, Mónica M. Solórzano-Kraemer, Kenny Jandausch, Jill T. Oberski and Thomas Schmuck, 22 January 2026, Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-36004-4
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