In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists in Brazil have uncovered the oldest known ant fossil, a 113-million-year-old specimen that roamed the Earth alongside dinosaurs. This remarkable find, led by Anderson Lepeco at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo and detailed in a study published in Current Biology, offers fresh insights into the early evolution and global spread of ants, one of nature’s most resilient creatures.
The fossil, found in the Crato Formation of northeastern Brazil, belongs to an extinct subfamily known as Haidomyrmecinae, or “hell ants,” named for their fearsome predatory traits. Preserved in limestone, the half-inch-long specimen, named Vulcanidris cratensis, showcases scythe-like jaws that hinged vertically and horn-like projections, indicating that ants developed sophisticated hunting adaptations far earlier than previously thought. The discovery was made while examining the museum’s extensive insect collection.
“This is the earliest undisputed ant known to science,” Lepeco said. “Its specialized anatomy challenges our assumptions about how quickly ants evolved complex features.” The fossil predates previous records of ant fossils, found in amber from Myanmar, France, and Canada, by about 13 million years, marking it as a pivotal piece in the puzzle of insect evolution.
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The Crato Formation, renowned for its exceptional fossil preservation, has revealed that hell ants were likely widespread during the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago). Unlike modern ants, which dominate ecosystems worldwide with over 17,000 species, hell ants vanished from the fossil record around 78 million years ago, before the mass extinction event that ended the Cretaceous. This new find suggests South America may have been a key evolutionary hub for these ancient insects.
The fossil’s significance extends beyond its age. Its discovery in a rock, rather than amber, is a first for hell ants, offering a clearer view of their anatomy through advanced 3D imaging techniques. “Finding such a well-preserved specimen in limestone was unexpected,” Lepeco noted. “It highlights the importance of revisiting museum collections, which can hide treasures like this.”
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The find highlights the Cretaceous’s diverse life, with the hell ant’s predatory adaptations suggesting it thrived by hunting smaller insects with its blade-like mandibles. This discovery pushes back the known presence of ants in South America by over 60 million years, reshaping theories about their global distribution.
As researchers analyze the fossil, the scientific community is abuzz. “This ant is a window into the Cretaceous world we’re still piecing together,” said Christine Sosiak, an entomologist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, commenting on the discovery’s significance. “It shows how ants were already diversifying long before they became the dominant insects we know today.”
For now, the Vulcanidris cratensis fossil stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of ants and the surprises still waiting in Earth’s ancient archives. Key takeaways from this discovery:
- Vulcanidris cratensis is the oldest known ant fossil at 113 million years.
- Its predatory features reveal early ant specialization.
- South America may have been a hub for ant evolution.