This striking photograph captures a fossilized “hell ant.” (Image credit: Anderson Lepeco)
Fact Fun dives into a jaw-dropping prehistoric discovery: a fossil of a new species of “hell ant” that lived alongside dinosaurs over 113 million years ago. This remarkable find in Brazil is now considered the oldest hell ant fossil ever recorded.
Unearthed in Ancient Stone
The fossil was found embedded in limestone in the Brazilian state of Ceará. Researchers from the University of São Paulo identified the fossil as a female ant preserved in stunning detail—not trapped in amber, but imprinted within rock. The species has been named Vulcanidris cratensis in honor of the Vulcano family, who donated the fossil-rich stone.
A Killer Jaw Like No Other
What sets this hell ant apart is its massive, sickle-shaped mandibles that moved vertically—a predatory adaptation for impaling prey. This jaw structure is drastically different from modern ants, whose mandibles move horizontally. The fossil provides rare insight into an evolutionary side path now lost to time.
A Broader Hell Ant Family
Hell ants have previously been discovered in amber from Myanmar, France, and Canada, but this Brazilian fossil suggests the group was more geographically widespread than previously believed. It supports the idea that ants diversified rapidly during the early Cretaceous.
Why This Discovery Matters
- Offers evidence of early ant evolution in South America.
- Supports the idea of rapid and diverse insect evolution during the dinosaur era.
- Highlights Brazil’s fossil sites as critical windows into ancient life.
Did You Know?
While hell ants are long extinct, a “living fossil” ant called Nothomyrmecia macrops—sometimes dubbed the “dinosaur ant”—still exists today in remote regions of Australia. It’s considered one of the most primitive ant species alive.
Love stories from prehistoric times? From saber-toothed predators to bizarre insects like the hell ant, Fact Fun brings the ancient world to life. Bookmark Fact Fun and join us again as we dig into the secrets of evolution.
ref : livescience
