Brazil, April 27: Scientists have uncovered the fossilized remains of the oldest-known ant, a winged predator with scythe-like jaws that roamed the Earth about 113 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs.
The fossil, preserved in limestone from northeastern Brazil, belongs to a species named Vulcanidris cratensis, researchers announced. It is part of an extinct group known as hell ants, infamous for their fearsome, demonic-looking jaws.
“These ancient ants had an extraordinary appearance unlike anything seen in modern species,” scientists said, noting the discovery expands understanding of early ant evolution during the Cretaceous Period.
Hell ants once thrived across a broad geographical range but left no living descendants.
Their unusual jaw structures suggest they hunted in ways not seen in today’s ants.
The newly identified species joins other bizarre Cretaceous insects, including a previously discovered hell ant, Haidomyrmex, named after Hades, the ancient Greek god of the underworld.
The discovery sheds fresh light on early ant diversification during a period when Earth’s ecosystems were dramatically different, with dinosaurs dominating the land and flowering plants just beginning to spread.
