The oldest ant ever discovered found fossilized in Brazil

Fossil Of 113-Million-Year-Old 'Hell Ant' That Lived With Dinosaurs Discovered In Brazil

The fossil of a 113-million-year-old hell ant, believed to have lived among dinosaurs, has now become the oldest ant specimen known to science, according to a new study.

113 million-year-old Brazilian fossil preserves oldest-known ant

The species, called Vulcanidris cratensis, is part of a lineage called hell ants - named for their demonic-looking jaws.

Oldest-known ant preserved in 113 million-year-old Brazilian fossil

Scientists have identified the fossilized remains of the oldest-known ant - a winged insect with fearsome scythe-like jaws that lived about 113 million years ago during the age of dinosaurs and was preserved in limestone unearthed in northeastern Brazil.The species, called Vulcanidris cratensis, is part of a

113-Million-Year-Old ‘Hell Ant’ Fossil Is the Oldest Ant Ever Discovered

When entomologist Anderson Lepeco spotted a strange fossil in a museum drawer, he nearly screamed in the lab. Trapped in a slab of 113-million-year-old limestone was an ancient ant with a bizarre, scythe-like jaw—and it turned out to be the oldest ant ever discovered. “I was just shocked to see that weird projection in front of this (insect’s) head,” said Lepeco, lead author of the new study published in Current Biology. “Other hell ants have be…

In Brazil, a sensational discovery is made: in a rock print, the oldest ant in the world is discovered. The research on the ancient animal can also help to fill gaps in evolutionary history.

This finding proves that ants have existed longer than it was thought, reveals a study published on Thursday, April 24th. According to the researchers, this insect impaled its prey with jaws similar to fakes.