400,000-year-old fossilized termite nests named after Little Karoo town

400,000-year-old fossilized termite nests named after Little Karoo town Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers recently named a series of approximately 400,000-year-old fossilized underground nests of an extinct termite species after Calitzdorp, the Little Karoo town near which they were found. In October 2026, the research team returned to the town to donate a poster documenting their discovery to the Calitzdorp Museum, helping to connect local communities with the region's fossil heritage. The study, published in the Journal of Quaternary Science, was led by Dr. Miengah Abrahams, a senior lecturer in UCT's Department of Geological Sciences. The research involved colleagues from UCT and other institutions in South Africa, Argentina and Australia. Columnanidus calitzdorpensis is a new ichnogenus and ichnospecies of termite, identified through the unique cylindrical, meter-deep structures formed by burrows and chambers. Eight remarkably preserved examples of these structures have been found at a single site in Calitzdorp. "Ichnology is a branch of paleontology that studies trace fossils. These offer a unique window into past ecosystems, capturing the behaviors and interactions of ancient life as well as environmental conditions. "The words 'ichnogenus' and 'ichnospecies' refer to the scientific name ichnologists give to the specific type of hardened trace fossil, evidence or remains preserved of a particular organism, such as its burrow, nest or footprint, rather than the body fossil of the organism itself," explained Abrahams, co-convener of the Ichnology Symposium at the ongoing 7th International Palaeontology Conference (IPC7), taking place at UCT from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2026. Abrahams, who leads the Continental Trace Studies group (CONTRAST) at UCT, combines her expertise in geology and ichnology to describe the structure and shape of trace fossils, such as hardened burrows, nests and footprints, and to understand how these have been preserved over geological time. She said it was an honor to present a poster about the discovery to the Calitzdorp Museum and its enthusiastic volunteers. "Engaging with locals about the fossil heritage on their doorsteps is a rewarding aspect of science. We hope visitors to the museum, especially children, will gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world around them," she added. Discovery A local artist discovered the unusual pipe-like features in the early 2000s. At first, the structures were thought to be remnants of ovens used by early human inhabitants of the Little Karoo. One of the structures is housed at the Calitzdorp Museum. Research began in 2021, following advice from Abrahams's former Ph.D. supervisor, professor Emese Bordy, also of UCT's Department of Geological Sciences and co-convener of the Ichnology Symposium at IPC7. Bordy had first noticed the features in a paleontological impact assessment conducted in the mid-2000s by paleontology consultant Dr. John Almond, who is now also a co-author of the Journal of Quaternary Science paper. An extraordinary glimpse into the underground world of ancient termites The remarkably preserved fossilized nests provide a rare glimpse into the underground world of an ancient termite species. Each nest is about one meter (3.3 feet) deep and 65 cm (26 inches) across. A central cavity is surrounded by a thick nest wall containing a network of galleries and chambers, revealing the complex construction abilities of the termites that built them. Sections of the structures were CT-scanned, using an imaging technique similar to X-rays, allowing researchers to examine the distinct internal burrows and chambers in greater detail. "We determined that these were a unique ichnogenus and ichnospecies, because of their distinct cylindric nature. The distinct zones in the shapes of the burrows and chambers within the nest wall have not been seen anywhere else before either," explained Abrahams. According to uranium-series dating, the structures are between 323,000 and 401,000 years old, placing them in the Middle Pleistocene. The nests survived because termite activity encouraged minerals, including calcium carbonate, to accumulate in the sand used to construct them. This process, known as calcretization, hardened and fossilized the sand, preserving the structures long after the soft-bodied insects and organic material had disappeared. "We know from the example of modern-day termites how these insects modify the chemistry and hydraulic properties of the soil in which they live. In ancient times such activity would have also provided good conditions for carbonate minerals to build up in the nests and be preserved," said Abrahams. Beyond revealing how ancient termites constructed their nests, the fossils offer valuable evidence of past ecosystems, landscapes and animal behavior. "Trace fossils help us better understand evolutionary changes of ancient animals through time." Researchers are planning further investigations into similar fossilized termite and ant nests in the Northern Cape and around Western Cape towns such as Ceres and Worcester. Publication details Miengah Abrahams et al., Columnanidus calitzdorpensis ichnogen. ichnosp. nov: A new Middle Pleistocene subterranean termite trace fossil from South Africa, Journal of Quaternary Science (2026). DOI: 10.1002/jqs.70089 Journal information: Journal of Quaternary Science Provided by University of Cape Town