The National Museum of Nature and Science, in collaboration with the research group led by Dr. Yume Imada (Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University), is surveying feeding traces preserved on the many plant fossils in its collection.

Through this database, we hope visitors will appreciate the richness of plant–insect interactions as reflected in the diversity of fossil damage. You can also explore the range of Functional Feeding Groups (FFGs) and Damage Types (DTs) that have been documented from fossil localities across Japan. Surveys and data releases are being carried out step by step, starting with localities that have large numbers of specimens, and the database will continue to expand.

We hope this resource will help you discover the depth of feeding-trace fossils and inspire you to reflect on the diversity and evolutionary history of plants and animals.