Science
A Cretaceous “hell ant” was preserved in amber as it was killing a baby cockroach – Salon
The ancient ant’s odd “vertical jaw” has not existed in nature since then — and scientists aren’t sure why
The idea that prehistoric animals may be trapped perfectly in amber, preserved for millions of years, isn’t just a staple of dino-cloning sci-fi franchises like “Jurassic Park.” On Thursday, scientists revealed a monumental discovery about the ancient world embodied in the discovery of a “hell ant” trapped in amber as it was in the process of devouring a baby cockroach.
A hell ant, or haidomyrmecine, is a relative of modern ants but with a critical difference: Instead of horizontal pincers that…
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