Her jaws resembled sicklets. She lived 113 million years ago

The extraordinary fossil was discovered in September 2024. Anderson LEMECO, a researcher from the Museum of Zoology at the University of Sao Paulo, came across her, who analyzed the museum collection there. In the preserved limestone there was an extortion, known as Hell's ant. The specimen is a member of the subfamily called Haidomyrmecinaethat lived in the chalk period between 66 and 145 million years ago and is not related to any ants currently living.

The details are described in the scientific journal “Current Biology”. A team of biologists and paleontologists from Brazil took part in the research.

Scientists' findings show that the evolution of ants from the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae You should go back at least 13 million years. Until now, it was thought that the oldest specimens of these insects lived about 100 million years ago. LEPECO explained that the museum of Fossil of Mrówki found in the resources of the limb in limit proves that during the chalk period this insect was perfectly prepared to get food. He added that the so -called Hell ants had already had highly specialized jaws, which resembled a sickle, 113 million years ago. They probably killed their victims.

“I was simply shocked, seeing this strange projection before the head of this (insect),” LEPECO said and explained that the Mamielina Ant Museum found in the resources of the limb in limit proves that during the chalk period this insect was perfectly prepared for food.

The scientist pointed out that the specimens of ancient ants from Europe and Southeast Asia were known so far. He specified that the Skamielin from the north-eastern Brazil is the first of the subfamily Haidomyrmecinae in this part of the world.