Scientists have long been fascinated by the unique eating habits of some mammals, but a new study reveals that these creatures evolved specialized adaptations for exclusively feeding on ants and termites at least 12 times since the Cenozoic era began.
The study, published in Evolution, analyzed dietary data from over 4,000 mammal species and found that myrmecophagy, or ant-eating, emerged as a convergent evolutionary strategy following the K-Pg extinction event. This led to the rapid expansion of ant and termite colonies worldwide, driving extreme shifts in feeding modes for certain species.
Researchers identified 200 known mammal species that eat ants and termites today, but only about 20 true myrmecophages have evolved traits like long sticky tongues, specialized claws, and reduced or missing teeth to efficiently consume thousands of insects daily as their sole food source.
The study’s findings suggest that myrmecophagy evolved at least once in each major mammal group, but unevenly, with some lineages being more “evolutionarily predisposed” to ant and termite eating. The researchers also found that species that started out as insectivores or carnivores were more likely to evolve into myrmecophages.
One interesting exception was the elephant shrew genus Macroscelides, which made a rare reversal to omnivory after becoming one of the first adopters of myrmecophagy. However, most myrmecophagous mammals have remained specialized in their diet, with only eight out of the 12 origins represented by just a single species.
The study’s authors believe that specializing on ants and termites could be beneficial for these mammals, especially as climate change favors species with massive colonies of social insects.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-07-mammals-evolved-ant-eaters-dinosaur.html