Men fossils at the Brazilian Museum were now recognized as the oldest known sample of ants dating from 113 million years. This discovery was published in the journal Current Biology.
Fossil fossil fossils, named Vulcanidris Cratensis, were found in the formation of Crato in the northeast Brazil, a plot well known for its well -preserved fossils. Anderson Lepek, a researcher of the museum of zoology San Paul, came across a model in September 2024, studying the museum’s collection. “I was just shocked by seeing this strange projection in front of this head (insects),” Lepek CNN said.
This ancient murash belongs to the extinct subfamily HaidomyrmecinaeUsually called “hell of ants”. According to the reports, these ants are characterized by their jaws that served, which served as a way to gain prey. Unlike the previous fossils of the ants found in Myanmar, this is preserved in the rock, which made it a rare find.
Credit: X/@UREct_animals
The opening suggests that ants were already widespread in the early term. Phil Baronden, Associate Professor of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, who studies the evolution of insects, commented on the value of the find. “This new find is now the oldest ants; it expands the famous fossil records for ants for about ten million years,” CNN barden said.
The micro-calculated tomography found that vulcanidris cratensis had an anatomical features that associate it with wasps, which indicates the common origin. According to Lepek, his wings had more lives than in modern ants, and his jaws were forecast forward from the eyes, functioning as a “loader” to seize the prey.
Credit: X/@UREct_animals
The preservation of fossils in rock, not amber, gives a unique opportunity to study the morphology of early ants. This discovery pushes the terms of evolution of ants.
In today’s world, ants are among the most common insects on Earth, which are on each continent, except Antarctica. However, they developed approximately 145 million years ago, dispensing with the ancestors that shared the wasps and bees.
Opening Vulcanidris Cratensis sheds light on early diversification of ants and their role in the dinosaur era. He emphasizes the importance of museum collections in the disclosure of significant paleontological conclusions.
