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A 113-million-year-old fossilized ant, the oldest ever discovered, has been unearthed in a Brazilian museum. Dubbed *Vulcanidris cratensis*, this 'hell ant' possessed unique scythe-like jaws, suggesting a specialized predatory strategy unlike modern ants. The discovery, published in Current Biology, pushes back the known ant fossil record by approximately 10 million years, indicating a wider distribution and evolutionary diversity of ants during the early Cretaceous period than previously understood. This find provides valuable insight into the early evolution of ants and their predatory adaptations.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.