Natures wonders: ants handle water problems (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 10:49 (1273 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: A newly discovered ant ability to handle too much water:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fire-ants-build-sand-syphon-tool-death-safety

QUOTE: "The threat of death is no obstacle for some hungry fire ants. To escape drowning while feeding on sugary water, black imported fire ants built syphons out of sand that moved the water to a safer spot."

DAVID: Since the ants came from South America it is not stated how much is known about how ants in SA handle floods of water. This may be a previously learned method.

All “learned methods” must have an origin. A tiny article in The Times a few days ago also reported this. It begins “Ants have shown a hitherto unrecognized degree of intelligence by learning how to use and adapt complex tools”. They may have used and adapted them, but originally their ancestors must have invented them. And I think the astonishing degree of ant intelligence has been recognized by many of us long before this discovery!