Discover the World’s Oldest Ant Species: Unveiling a ‘Remarkable’ Fossil Find | CNN

A remarkable discovery has emerged from a museum in Brazil: the oldest known ant fossil, dating back 113 million years. This unique specimen predates previously discovered ants by several million years and offers new insights into ant evolution.

The fossil was uncovered by Anderson Lepeco at the Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo, while he sifted through their impressive collection of insects. This museum is home to one of the largest fossilized insect collections, particularly from the well-known Crato Formation, noted for its exceptional fossil preservation.

The ancient ant, now named Vulcanidris cratensis, belongs to the extinct subfamily Haidomyrmecinae and displayed a fascinating way of hunting with its long, scythe-like jaws. These unique jaws likely enabled it to pin or impale its prey, an effective strategy in its Cretaceous habitat.

Lepeco described his excitement at seeing such distinct features on this fossil, especially since most hell ants have only been found in amber. Other known hell ants date back about 99 million years and were mainly trapped in tree resin. Finding one preserved in limestone, especially from a period when ants had just begun to diversify, suggests they were already widespread.

This discovery highlights a crucial evolutionary moment for ants. It reveals how these insects developed various adaptations during the early Cretaceous, specifically before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. According to the study, understanding these early forms helps researchers learn more about the evolutionary path ants took and the unique traits some species possessed before disappearing from the fossil record.

Today, ants are one of the most prevalent insect groups, found on virtually every continent except Antarctica. They are believed to have evolved about 145 million years ago, around the same time their ancestors branched off from wasps and bees. Interestingly, before the asteroid impact that ended the dinosaurs, ants were not yet the dominant insect in ecosystems; they became more prominent in the fossil record only after the extinction event.

Phil Barden, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, remarked on the significance of this find. He mentioned that this fossil advances the known timeline of ants by approximately ten million years. Although ants have been studied for over a century, the absence of older examples raised questions about their early existence.

Furthermore, the Vulcanidris cratensis’ wings show multiple veins, a trait reminiscent of wasps, shedding light on the shared evolutionary history of these insect groups. High-tech imaging techniques, such as micro-computed tomography, allowed researchers to analyze the fossil’s anatomy in detail. They found that its unique jaw structure, which differs from modern ants, indicates a more sophisticated predatory approach than previously known.

This fossil discovery paints a richer picture of the early diversity of ants and their evolutionary significance. As our understanding of these insects continues to evolve, we learn just how complex the world of ancient ants truly was, highlighting the intricate relationships they had with their environment and prey millions of years ago.



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