Unearthed: The 113-Million-Year-Old ‘Hell Ant’ Fossil That Could Rewrite Ant Evolution Forever
What if I told you that 113 million years ago, there was an ant out there rocking jaws so wild they look like something straight from a sci-fi horror flick? Picture this—upward-facing, scythe-like mandibles that didn’t just snap shut on prey but actually impaled it, then forklifted the poor critter right into its mouth. Yeah, a prehistoric “hell ant” with some seriously bizarre predators instincts. Discovered by sheer luck in Brazil by entomologist Anderson Lepeco, this fossil isn’t just the oldest ant specimen ever found—it’s a jaw-dropping glimpse into evolution throwing us a wild curveball with one heck of a predatory twist. So how did these freakish little creatures make their mark before vanishing into extinction? Buckle up, because this hell ant’s story is as sharp and unexpected as those infamous scythe jaws themselves. LEARN MORE.
The “hell ant” had “bizarre predatory adaptations,” namely upward-facing, scythe-like jaws that would impale its prey before moving it like a forklift into its mouth.
Anderson LepecoThe “hell ant” fossil found in Brazil is 13 million years older than other known specimens.
While checking rock samples at Brazil’s Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, entomologist Anderson Lepeco came across a fossil that caught his eye. It reminded him of prehistoric ant fossils found in Myanmar, some of the oldest ever uncovered.
To his surprise, he soon discovered that his fossil was a close match to those, only it was even more noteworthy. In fact, Lepeco had just stumbled upon a 113-million-year-old “hell ant” fossil, the oldest ant fossil ever documented.
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