46-Million-Year-Old Mosquito Fossil Found In US Still Has Blood In Its Stomach

Scientists have discovered a 46-million-year-old mosquito that died after drawing blood. Researchers are using a new technique to try and determine the insect's last supper in an attempt to prove that insects have always been blood-suckers, and may have even "preyed" on dinosaurs. The Eocene mosquito had a belly full of blood when it died, and its body has remained encased in shale ever since.

The insect perished in what is now spectacular mountain country near Missoula, Montana. When it was originally excavated, scientists found that it was fossilized with the remains of its last blood meal inside it. The ancient bug was preserved in exquisite detail because it was trapped in shale - an ancient mudstone - where organic remnants break down at an unusually slow rate. The soft mud that surrounded the mosquito compacted its body without distorting it.