American scientists from the Smithsonian Institution discovered that ants started farming shortly after the meteorite impact that put an end to the existence of dinosaurs. This happened about 66 million years ago. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Science.
The team analyzed genetic data from 475 different fungal species and 276 ant varieties to establish a history of the evolution of ant farming.
The results showed that fungi thrived on decaying leaf debris after the meteor impact and mass extinction of animals and plants at the end of the Cretaceous period. Ants took advantage of the fact that fungi became a food source during the period when life was slowly being renewed.
The study also showed that it took about 40 million more years for ants to develop higher agriculture. Researchers were able to trace the origins of this advanced practice to approximately 27 million years ago. During this time, rapid climate change altered the environment around the world.
Previous scientists I learnedQueen ants eat their own infected offspring to lay more eggs.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.