“Fossilized behavior is very rare, predation especially so,” said Phillip Barden, an assistant professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology who served as lead author on this new study, which was published in the journal Current Biology. “As paleontologists, we speculate about the function of ancient adaptations using available evidence, but to see an extinct predator caught in the act of catching its prey is invaluable.”This newly identified species of prehistoric ant, known as Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri, is just one of more than 12,500 different species of insect that scientists have discovered so far, although they believe there is “probably another 10,000 or so” there, waiting to be identified to join the ranks of this diverse collection of complex creatures.
For more real-world discoveries and developments, check out the full skull of the little-known dinosaur found in amber, discover the process behind the resurgence of 100-million-year-old underwater lifeforms in laboratory conditions, and find out about the bionic moon jellyfish that was created earlier this year by scientists.
Adele Ankers is a freelance entertainment journalist. You can reach them on Twitter.
