Old ant, new ant

Wow! I'm surprised that scientists can actually determine that this new species of ant is 120 million years old, give or take a few million years. Well, this ant fella here on the right ain't that old; it's just that scientists claimed that its species has been around for all this time.

Researchers from Karlsruhe's Natural History Museum found the three-millimeter-long (0.118 inch) blind, subterranean, predatory ant in the Amazon rainforest in 2007. It has been named "Martialis heureka".

Resembling a miniature wasp, the insect is like no other ant, said museum biologist Manfred Verhaagh whose life obviously revolved around these little critters. "It's by far the most spectacular find of my 26-year career." DNA samples from its front leg was used to establish its likely age. If its true that it dates back 120 million years, it will be the oldest ant species still inhabiting the earth. Much older than my aunt.