Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Which ant was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Dr. Julian Katzke walked us through how the Antscan project created 3D scans of over 2,000 ants from over 700 species. Using X-rays, these scans reveal the tiniest details, from leg hairs to even their internal anatomy.
This massive dataset is helping researchers around the world study ant diversity and how they evolved. Plus, it’s a great educational resource to see these tiny creatures in a whole new way.
Take a closer look with more images and the full podcast on our website.
Video shows Animated 3D models of Discothyrea sexarticulata (specialist predator of arthropod eggs), Eciton hamatum (army ant), and Paraponera clavata (bullet ant), rendered at life-scale proportions to showcase differences in size, form, and ecological strategy.
Video credit: Animation of 3D models generated from Antscan datasets. Katzke, J., Hita Garcia, F., Lösel, P.D. et al. High-throughput phenomics of global ant biodiversity. Nat Methods 23, 663–672 (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41592-026-03005-0
Which ant was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Dr. Julian Katzke walked us through how the Antscan project created 3D scans of over 2,000 ants from over 700 species. Using X-rays, these scans reveal the tiniest details, from leg hairs to even their internal anatomy.
This massive dataset is helping researchers around the world study ant diversity and how they evolved. Plus, it’s a great educational resource to see these tiny creatures in a whole new way.
Take a closer look with more images and the full podcast on our website.
Video shows Animated 3D models of Discothyrea sexarticulata (specialist predator of arthropod eggs), Eciton hamatum (army ant), and Paraponera clavata (bullet ant), rendered at life-scale proportions to showcase differences in size, form, and ecological strategy.
Video credit: Animation of 3D models generated from Antscan datasets. Katzke, J., Hita Garcia, F., Lösel, P.D. et al. High-throughput phenomics of global ant biodiversity. Nat Methods 23, 663–672 (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41592-026-03005-0
