#ants

smokeinfog@diasp.org

Ant mega-colony takes over world

A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered.

Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another.

The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination.

What's more, people are unwittingly helping the mega-colony stick together.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) were once native to South America. But people have unintentionally introduced the ants to all continents except Antarctica.

. . .

#ants #antColony #megaColony #entomology #science #BBC #BBCNaturalHistoryUnit #EarthNews

dredmorbius@joindiaspora.com

E.O. Wilson, naturalist dubbed a modern-day Darwin, dies at 92

Edward O. Wilson, a U.S. naturalist dubbed the "modern-day Darwin" died on Sunday at the age of 92 in Massachusetts, his foundation said in a statement.

Alongside British naturalist David Attenborough, Wilson was considered one of the world's leading authorities on natural history and conservation.

Wilson's Half-Earth Project calls for protecting half the planet's land and sea so there are enough diverse and well-connected ecosystems to reverse the course of species extinction, which is happening at a rate not seen in 10 million years....

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/obituary-modern-day-darwin-eo-wilson-dies-92-2021-12-27/

#EOWilson #EdwardOWilson #Obituary #Consilience #Evolution #Ants #Entomology

devevo@diasp.org

#biology #evolution #brains #ants #humanevolution
Ants Could Help Explain Why Our Brains Mysteriously Shrank Thousands of Years Ago
In the 6 million years since our ancestors first branched off from our ancient primate relatives, the volume of the human brain has nearly quadrupled.
What many people don't realize, however, is that sometime after the last ice age, that very brain actually began to shrink.
https://www.sciencealert.com/ants-could-help-explain-why-our-brains-mysteriously-shrank-thousands-of-years-ago