Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:48am EDT

http://tinyurl.com/5l7xoo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German biologists have discovered a new species of ant they believe is the oldest on the planet, dating back around 120 million years.

Researchers from Karlsruhe's Natural History Museum found the 3-millimeter-long (0.118 inch) insect in the Amazon rainforest in 2007, and hope it will shed light on the early evolution of ants.

"It's by far the most spectacular find of my 26-year career," said museum biologist Manfred Verhaagh on Tuesday.

Scientists from Karlsruhe originally found an unidentified species of ant of a similar type in the Brazilian rainforest in 2003. However, due to an accident in the laboratory, the insect dried up, making further research impossible, Verhaagh said.

Last year a separate team from the museum's research body was in the forest investigating fungus when they stumbled upon the tiny insect, and named it "Martialis heureka".

Resembling a miniature wasp, the insect is like no other ant, and probably dates back 120 million years, making it the oldest still inhabiting the earth, Verhaagh said. The scientists used DNA samples from its front leg to establish its likely age.

The last discovery of a new ant species was in 1923, he added.

(Reporting by Josie Cox, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSLG53732420080916

"dates back 120 million years, making it the oldest still inhabiting the earth" that statement says a lot about ants right there. This is a damn good find for the scientific world.

That's pretty cool. Ants are awesome. Give them a bigger brain and they'd be running this place.

just wait till they become sentient and try and clam land rights over the earth. best to wipe them out now

Squish it!

Thing looks like it could do some serious damage :(

Awesome find though for scientists.

pure luck in finding it....3mm ant in the fucking amazon forest :D

If their brains were bigger then we wouldn't be near top of the food chain any more.

120 million years of evolution and it looks exactly the same.

They aint goin' anywhere.

My boot > they're brain, no matter how big it is.

http://www.partridges.uk.com/catalog/images/Ant_killer_150g_300g.jpg

Natural selection is overrated.

Aaaaaaant people. Aaaaaant people. Looks like ant but talks like people. Aaaaaaant people. Aaaaaant people.

Don't you mean

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/sum42dood/Raid.png

Don't you mean

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/sum42dood/Raid.png

Huffington Square here I come.

i thought this thread was about my really old aunt

120 million years of evolution and it looks exactly the same.

They aint goin' anywhere.
This man is correct.

This man is correct.

Until we genetically alter them to grow the size of pit bulls.

Pitbull sized ants = new top of the food chain

until we genetically alter them to grow the size of pit bulls.

Pitbull sized ants = new top of the food chain
8 legged freaks!

South Park improves everything.

How the hell do they know it dates 120 million years back?

Looks like they found a disfigured ant and hyped it all up.

Until we genetically alter them to grow the size of pit bulls.

Pitbull sized ants = new top of the food chain

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/thumb/b/b6/350px-Antlion.jpg

How the hell do they know it dates 120 million years back?

Looks like they found a disfigured ant and hyped it all up.

Carbon dating I assume.

Carbon dating I assume.

Whoa whoa whoa. As far as I understand it was just the kind of an ant that also existed 120 million years ago - not the actual specimen that has been living for 120 million years. Or did I get it wrong? Then that's fucking MASSIVE! Imagine a human living for 120 million years. That can pretty much be called "immortal". That's Highlander kinda stuff.

Whoa whoa whoa. As far as I understand it was just the kind of an ant that also existed 120 million years ago - not the actual specimen that has been living for 120 million years. Or did I get it wrong? Then that's fucking MASSIVE! Imagine a human living for 120 million years. That can pretty much be called "immortal". That's Highlander kinda stuff.

No I had it wrong, I thought it was a fossil and not an actual living specimen.

That just shows that the design of that ant is flawless.

It's not a living specimen that's 120 million years old, that's impossible. From what I understand, it's a living specimen of a species that hasn't changed in 120 million years (since the time of the last dinosaurs!), and that diverged evolutionarily from modern ants. The article's not very clearly written. And yeah, it does make the design of the ant flawless for the environment it's in.

Don't you mean

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/sum42dood/Raid.png

KNEW this was coming.

KNEW this was coming.

Yeah, let's see how the perfect design survives THAT.

I feel sorry for whoever's height of their career is an ant.

wow 120million years. just saying if we die out i bet this thing is gonna be in a battle with cockroaches for ruler of the world if theres a nuclear war

Was it fossilized?

I'm having to call bullshit here.

How could they have found a 3mm ant in the Amazon without digging?

It's pretty much impossible. Sorry guys

120 million years old, thats older then all the well known dinosaurs, who lived 80 to 65 million years ago. These ants evolved into their current state around the time the first small dinosaurs appeared too. Its still late though when you consider the fact that live started about 4.000.000.000 years ago. Still this is an amazing species to have survived this long. It shows the resillience of this animals to endure any condition and thrive. We have been around for approximately 20.000 years now, 6.000 of which are civilized.

I say we show them who's the daddy and exterminate every single one of their 120 million useless species.

This just in from Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks:

Sir, what's it like being 120 million years old?

Oh, it's got its advantages. 30% off at Denny's...Willard Scott wishing you happy birthday on television...and at the home, they serve cinammon applesauce on Tuesdays.

Did you move to the home from your anthill?

That's right, I was in an ant condo for awhile, then I slipped in the shower and my 5 million kids decided it was time to put me in assisted living. It's not so bad...the staff there give you lots of sugar, take you on activities like picnics and trips to the farm.

What was life like 120 million years ago?

There wasn't much to do, since nothing had been invented yet. We just kind of scurried around looking for dead cavemen to eat.

Did you come across a lot of dead cavemen?

Oy, you wouldn't believe. There was this one Neanderthal, Ug McKlowsky from cave 7-B. 300 pounds this guy was. Took almost the whole colony to drag him back to the anthill pantry...

Your anthill had a pantry?

Yeah, the "antry," we called it. Anyway, we drag his smelly carcass all the way home only to find out that he wasn't kosher. So we turned him into an amusement park.

Have you met any famous historical figures in your 120 million years?

Oh sure, I met Agamemnon, he was a character. Had a club foot, not many people know that. He used to limp around his palace, moaning about how the pizza guy never spelled his name right.

But I thought Agamemnon was a fictional character from Greek Mythology.

That's what he wanted everyone to think. That's how he beat all his enemies, by making them think he wasn't real. It's a tactic still used today.

Yes, well, we won't go into that. Any advice for the young people of today?

What, like 60, 70 million-year-olds?

No, I was thinking more like 20 or 30-year-olds....

Oh, what do they know? You don't learn anything about life until you hit a hundred thousand. That's when you really have to grow up.

I'm afraid most of us will never live that long.

Well, it's your loss...you might try eating more green vegetables.

I see, well, thank you very much for speaking with us.

Submit it as a text file.

i lol'd :p

Here is a better article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/uota-nas091008.php

How the hell do they know it dates 120 million years back?

Looks like they found a disfigured ant and hyped it all up.

Carbon dating I assume.

No, it wasn't carbon dating. They genetically analyzed it to find that its species branched off from other modern ants 120 million years ago. Also, carbon dating only works on objects up to about 60,000 years old, with greater measurement inaccuracy as you approach that limit. This is because of carbon-14's decay half life.

120 million years old, thats older then all the well known dinosaurs, who lived 80 to 65 million years ago. These ants evolved into their current state around the time the first small dinosaurs appeared too. Its still late though when you consider the fact that live started about 4.000.000.000 years ago. Still this is an amazing species to have survived this long. It shows the resillience of this animals to endure any condition and thrive. We have been around for approximately 20.000 years now, 6.000 of which are civilized.

Yeah, a lot of the popular dinosaurs were around that period, but Stegosaurus was around in the Late Jurassic epoch which is 160 - 145 Mya (according to wiki). Small dinosaurs were around by then. The age of the dinos began something like 225 Mya.

But yes, it has gone a long time without changing much.