The oldest ant ever discovered found fossilized in Brazil

113-Million-Year-Old Hell Ant Fossil Breaks Age Record for Such Insects

The hell ant shows how insect species evolved, adapted, and spread throughout the ancient world.

The oldest ant ever discovered found fossilized in Brazil

A 113-million-year-old hell ant that once lived in northeastern Brazil is now the oldest ant specimen known to science, finds a new report. The hell ant, which was preserved in limestone, is a member of Haidomyrmecinae -- an extinct subfamily that only lived during the Cretaceous period. These ants had highly specialized, scythe-like jaws that they likely used to pin or impale prey.

The World's Oldest Known Ant Is A 113-Million-Year-Old Hell Ant with Scythe Jaws

A remarkable find for ant history was made, not in the field but in a drawer.

‘Extraordinary’ fossil reveals the oldest ant species known to science

A prehistoric hell ant that lived among dinosaurs 113 million years ago had an unusual way to kill its prey and sheds new light on insect evolution, researchers have found.

Monstrous "Hell Ant" That Thrived 113 Million Years Ago Revealed in Oldest Fossil of Its Kind Ever Discovered

Ants are among the most familiar insects on Earth today, but their origins remain cloaked in deep evolutionary history. Until now, the oldest known ant specimens came from amber deposits in France and Myanmar, dating to the Cretaceous period around 100 million years ago. But a new discovery—published recently in the journal Current Biology—pushes that timeline back even further. “Our team has discovered a new fossil ant species representing the …

'Hell ant' fossil may be oldest ant ever found

Researchers have discovered a never-before-seen species of "hell ant" that lived 113 million years ago, making it the oldest ant fossil ever found.