'Ant from Mars' discovered in the Amazon
A newly discovered species of a blind, subterranean predator could be a descendant of one of the very first ants to evolve on Earth, a new study claims.
Dubbed the 'Ant from Mars' the 120 million year old creature was found in dead plant material on the ground in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
But disappointingly - considering the name - there is no suggestion the creature has ever visited or originated from the red planet. Can we get the scientists done for false advertising?
Biologist Christian Rabeling from the University of Texas says the ant got the name because it has a combination of characteristics never before recorded.
It is adapted for dwelling in the soil, is two to three millimeters long, pale, and has no eyes but large mandibles, which could have been used to capture prey.
Rabeling says his discovery will help biologists better understand the biodiversity and evolution of ants, which are abundant and ecologically important insects.
"This discovery hints at a wealth of species, possibly of great evolutionary importance, still hidden in the soils of the remaining rainforests."
Ants evolved over 120 million years ago from wasp ancestors. They probably evolved quickly into many different lineages, with ants specializing to lives in the soil, leaf-litter or trees, or becoming generalists.
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