Science
Scientists discover amber tomb that shows a prehistoric “hell ant” killing its prey with bizarre jaws that look like the Grim Reaper’s scythe – CBS News
A “hell ant” some 99 million years ago used its scythe-like jaws to trap a baby roach for its next meal — but then the pair got stuck in sap and were preserved for scientists to discover centuries later.
A 99-million-year-old amber fossil preserving a deadly encounter between two insects has proven what scientists long suspected about some of the Earth’s first ants. The insect’s ancestors had a deadly weapon in place of modern pincers — vertical jaws that looked like the Grim Reaper’s scythe that were used to pin prey against a horn on their heads so that it was easier to keep ahold of their meal.
The discovery was published Thursday in the scientific journal “Current Biology.”
The fossil was …
-
General17 hours agoChina and Philippines trade blame over latest South China Sea clash
-
Noosa News21 hours agoBrisbane rising on global rankings, but still behind southern capitals
-
Noosa News21 hours agoWest End icon closes doors
-
General23 hours agoCalls for government to ‘get on with’ CSIRO Ginninderra Experiment Station land sale after three-year delay