Discovery of the Oldest Known Ant
Scientists have unveiled the fossilized remains of the oldest known ant, a winged insect featuring distinctive scythe-like jaws. This remarkable species lived approximately 113 million years ago during the age of dinosaurs and was preserved in limestone discovered in northeastern Brazil. This finding sheds new light on ant evolution and their ancient diversity.
Named Vulcanidris cratensis, this ant belongs to a group called hell ants, recognized for their fearsome jaws. These ants thrived during the Cretaceous Period across a broad geographic area but left no descendants today. Another hell ant found earlier was named Haidomyrmex, inspired by Hades, the ancient Greek god of the underworld.
Unique Anatomy and Behavior of the Oldest Known Ant
Measuring about half an inch (1.35 cm) long, Vulcanidris had highly specialized jaws designed to pin down or impale prey. It also possessed wings, suggesting it was a strong flier, and a well-developed stinger similar to that of a wasp. “It would probably be confused with a wasp by an untrained eye,” noted an entomologist involved in the study.
Unlike modern ants whose mandibles move side to side, Vulcanidris’s jaws moved vertically. This vertical motion is unusual compared to the horizontal articulation seen in most ants today. Such specialization hints at unique hunting or feeding strategies employed by this ancient species.
Significance of the Oldest Known Ant in Evolutionary History
This fossil is about 13 million years older than the previous oldest ants found in amber from France and Myanmar. The Vulcanidris specimen was exceptionally well preserved in limestone from the Crato geological formation in Ceará state, Brazil. Although excavated decades ago, it was only recently studied after being donated to a museum.
The wide distribution of hell ants, including Vulcanidris in Brazil and Haidomyrmex in Myanmar, suggests that ants as a group emerged well before this period. Molecular studies estimate that ants originated between 168 million and 120 million years ago, and this discovery supports the earlier end of that range.
Evolutionary Links and Ecosystem Role
Ants are believed to have evolved from wasps, sharing close relations with both wasps and bees. Vulcanidris lived in a rich ecosystem filled with various insects, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, crustaceans, turtles, crocodilians, flying reptiles called pterosaurs, birds, and dinosaurs such as the feathered predator Ubirajara. Potential predators of this ant included frogs, birds, spiders, and larger insects.
Impact and Importance of Ants in the Natural World
Today, ants have spread across almost every environment on Earth. Recent research estimates a global ant population of around 20 quadrillion, far surpassing the human population of about 8 billion. They are among the most abundant groups in many ecosystems.
Ants play vital roles such as predation, herbivory, and population control of other organisms. They also maintain relationships with specific plants and insects, offering protection from other animals. Subterranean and leaf-litter ants contribute to soil health and act as decomposers by feeding on dead organisms.
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