The Oldest Ant Ever Found: Meet the Hell Ant

Ants are everywhere. They are one of the most common insects on Earth. There are over 13, 800 known species. Yet, scientists keep finding new things about them. Recently, a group of researchers found something amazing. They discovered the oldest ant fossil ever. This tiny insect is from 113 million years ago. It was found in Brazil, trapped in a piece of limestone. This ant is not like any ant alive today. It belongs to a group called hell ants. Hell ants are extinct. They had unique features. Their jaws were like scythes, used for spearing prey. This new species is called Vulcanidris cratensis. It is the first hell ant found in South America. It is also the first found in a rock fossil, not amber. The fossil is remarkably well-preserved. It was found in a place called the Crato Formation. This place is known for producing detailed fossils. The researchers used special imaging to study the fossil. They found that this ant had complex features. This suggests that even early ants had advanced hunting skills. Hell ants are known for their unique heads. They had spikes and their jaws moved up and down, not side to side. This is different from modern ants. The discovery of this new species challenges what scientists thought about ant evolution. It shows that ants developed complex features much earlier than previously believed. Ants first appeared between the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. Hell ants might be the first lineage to branch off. This new discovery gives scientists a better understanding of ant evolution. It shows that ants were more diverse and widespread than previously known. The researchers published their findings in a scientific journal. They hope this discovery will lead to more studies on ant evolution. It is an exciting time for entomology, the study of insects. Who knows what other surprises are waiting to be found in the fossil record?