Deep in the rocks of Brazil, scientists have made a creepy-crawly discovery that’s breaking records and opening up a brand-new chapter in insect history. Meet the oldest ant ever found on Earth – a bizarre and fearsome-looking creature that lived 113 million years ago!
This ancient insect is known as a hell ant, and it’s not your average picnic pest. Instead of tiny pincers like modern ants, this strange ant had huge, scythe-like jaws that may have snapped shut like bear traps to grab its prey. Talk about terrifying!
🔍 What Exactly Is a Hell Ant?
Hell ants (scientifically called Haidomyrmecinae) are now extinct, but they once ruled the Cretaceous period, living at the same time as dinosaurs. These ants had jaw-dropping jaws that moved upward instead of sideways like modern ants. That helped them trap their prey in a way scientists say was completely different from how today’s ants hunt.
This newest fossil was discovered in a limestone rock from the Crato Formation in northeastern Brazil. Unlike other ant fossils found in amber, this one was preserved in stone, making it the first hell ant fossil of its kind!
🧠 What Makes This Discovery So Special?
🔸 Oldest Ant Fossil Ever: At 113 million years old, this fossil beats out all other known ant fossils by millions of years.
🔸 New Species: It’s not just an old fossil—it’s a brand-new species scientists hadn’t seen before.
🔸 Global Spread: This find shows that ants were already spreading across the globe way earlier than anyone thought.
“It’s amazing,” said Anderson Lepeco, the scientist who led the discovery. “We found not just any old ant, but a hell ant with really strange and advanced features for something so ancient.”
🛠️ How Did Scientists Study It?
Thanks to 3D X-ray imaging, researchers were able to peek inside the fossil without breaking the rock. They saw the ant’s unusual jaw structure, as well as a spike-like face that made it look even scarier!
These tools allowed scientists to study the fossil in incredible detail—something that wouldn’t have been possible even 10 years ago.
🐜 Ancient Ants vs. Modern Ants
| Feature | Hell Ant (113 million years ago) | Modern Ants |
|---|---|---|
| Jaw direction | Upward (like scythes) | Side-to-side |
| Preserved in | Limestone rock | Mostly amber |
| Hunting strategy | Likely trapped prey with jaws | Bite, sting, or swarm |
| Still around today? | ❌ Extinct | ✅ Everywhere! |
🌍 What Does This Tell Us About Ant Evolution?
This fossil proves that ants have been around much longer than we thought — and they were already developing strange and clever ways to survive.
“This find tells us that even 113 million years ago, ants had evolved into serious hunters,” said Lepeco. “It’s a peek into a prehistoric insect world we’re only just beginning to understand.”
🚀 Why It Matters
Finding fossils like this helps scientists learn how life on Earth evolved. It also shows why museum collections and paleontology (the study of ancient life) are so important. Who knows what other secrets are hiding in rocks and drawers around the world?
So next time you see an ant crawling on the sidewalk, remember—you might be looking at the distant cousin of a prehistoric predator from the time of dinosaurs!
