  Here we report on the significant role of a so far overlooked dynamical
aspect, namely a secular resonance between the dwarf planet Ceres and other
asteroids. We demonstrate that this type of secular resonance can be the
dominant dynamical factor in certain regions of the main asteroid belt.
  Specifically, we performed a dynamical analysis of the asteroids belonging to
the (1726) Hoffmeister family. To identify which dynamical mechanisms are
actually at work in this part of the main asteroid belt, i.e. to isolate the
main perturber(s), we study the evolution of this family in time. The study is
accomplished using numerical integrations of test particles performed within
different dynamical models. The obtained results reveal that the post-impact
evolution of the Hoffmeister asteroid family is a direct consequence of the
nodal secular resonance with Ceres.
  This leads us to the conclusion that similar effects must exist in other
parts of the asteroid belt. In this respect, the obtained results shed light on
an important and entirely new aspect of the long-term dynamics of small bodies.
Ceres' fingerprint in asteroid dynamics, expressed through the discovered
secular resonance effect, completely changes our understanding of the way in
which perturbations by Ceres-like objects affect the orbits of nearby bodies.
