Scientists have identified a newly extinct insect lineage that represents the precursors to modern hornets, a discovery reported by Vesti Kaliningrad. The fossil record includes a handful of individuals classified among the parasitoid braconid ichneumon wasps, yet these specimens belong to a distinct new species. The amber-preserved evidence honors the memory of the philosopher Immanuel Kant by naming this lineage Palaeorhoptrocentrus. Researchers note that the fossils reveal large, true eyes accompanied by three smaller eyes on the front, head-length antennae measuring about 1.2 times the body length, and a comparatively short ovipositor relative to the abdomen, as explained by Anastasia Kuznetsova, curator of the Amber Museum.
The specimens date to roughly 40 million years ago. Scientists propose that this species stood as an ancestor to present-day hornets, yet it carried an ovipositor rather than a sting. It is believed that these parasitoids were drawn to the scent of fresh resin from the amber tree in which their hosts resided. Members of the braconid ichneumon family once inhabited an extensive amber forest and later became extinct as their habitat disappeared. Today, descendants of creatures similar to them are observed primarily in tropical regions, where conditions remained suitable for their lineage to survive and diversify.
In related discussions, ancient biologists observed that extreme polygyny among seals could lead to elevated mortality among males, illustrating an evolutionary pattern where mating systems influence survival outcomes across distant branches of the animal kingdom. The study of these ancient insects helps illuminate broader principles of evolutionary change, ecological relationships, and how environmental shifts can reset the fortunes of entire lineages. The amber record thus serves as a vivid archive, preserving complex interactions between predators, hosts, and the forest ecosystems that once dominated temperate and tropical landscapes alike (attribution: Vesti Kaliningrad).