Post by tammi on Aug 16, 2020 18:00:48 GMT
By Natasha Ishak
Published August 11, 2020
allthatsinteresting.com/
During the age of the dinosaurs, prehistoric ant species had an unusual feature on their heads - a horn that scientists suspect was used to clamp down on prey, in conjunction with its lower mandible which faced upright.
This, of course, was pure guesswork, since there was no evidence showing how these insects used their unusual features. But a recent discovery of a 'hell ant' caught inside amber while devouring its prey has given scientists all the proof they need to put speculation to rest.
According to Science Alert, the ant has been identified as a new prehistoric species named Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri that lived 99 million years ago. These prehistoric ants are typically known by their more ominous nickname, 'hell ants'.
A study on this 'hell ant' was published in early August 2020 in the journal Current Biology.
The ant was uncovered inside a piece of Burmese amber while it was attacking its prey, which researchers also identified as an extinct relative to the modern cockroach. The two prehistoric insects were preserved intact in their struggle for nearly 100 million years.
Published August 11, 2020
allthatsinteresting.com/
During the age of the dinosaurs, prehistoric ant species had an unusual feature on their heads - a horn that scientists suspect was used to clamp down on prey, in conjunction with its lower mandible which faced upright.
This, of course, was pure guesswork, since there was no evidence showing how these insects used their unusual features. But a recent discovery of a 'hell ant' caught inside amber while devouring its prey has given scientists all the proof they need to put speculation to rest.
According to Science Alert, the ant has been identified as a new prehistoric species named Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri that lived 99 million years ago. These prehistoric ants are typically known by their more ominous nickname, 'hell ants'.
A study on this 'hell ant' was published in early August 2020 in the journal Current Biology.
The ant was uncovered inside a piece of Burmese amber while it was attacking its prey, which researchers also identified as an extinct relative to the modern cockroach. The two prehistoric insects were preserved intact in their struggle for nearly 100 million years.
