While there is much obsession with finding life in outer space, there are about one million different kinds of denizens of the animal world that breathe without lungs or gills, yet all have the same three body sections, six legs and antennae. I'm sure that up close, their appearance will out do any special effect space alien. Ants are just one kind of these.
Webster's Dictionary states that King Solomon was noted for his wisdom. Thousands of years ago, Solomon wrote: "Go to the ant, consider its ways and be wise".
A Typical Ant Nest
Worker ant scouts returning to nest
Egg laying Queen...........AND.......... Larvae
The ant eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae latter grow to become full grown ants.
The typical ant colony is usually centered around one or more egg-laying "queens". The smaller worker ants care for the queen and her eggs
The smaller male ants and the larger queen ants all have wings. The male's life-span is short. Only the queen begins a new colony
A typical queen ant will usually fly to a new location to start a new colony by herself. She will not need to fly any more, so she sheds her wings
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With their combined weight greater than the combined weight of all humans, ants are the most numerous type of animal
Strong in relation to their size, ants can carry 10 to 20 times their body weight. They work in teams to move extremely heavy things.
Ant brains are largest amongst insects. Mushroom shaped brain appendages have function similar to the gray-matter of human brains.
It has been estimated that an ant's brain may have the same processing power as a Macintosh II computer.
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What happens when ants are painted with color dots?
Colored dots painted on the backs of ants according to the type of work they are observed doing show that ants have specific jobs.
So yellow dotted ants would concentrate on cleaning. Teams of green dotted ants forage outward for food. Orange dotted ants would take care of the young.
After a few days or weeks, the ants may change their jobs as they take on new skills.
Sometimes when a catastrophe occurs, the ants respond by quickly adapting their duties to overcome the problem
BOTH ANTS & HUMANS SHARE THESE ENDEAVORS
LIVESTOCK FARMING
herd aphids & "milk" them for nectar-like food
CULTIVATION
growing underground gardens for food
CHILDCARE
feeding young & providing intensive nursery care
EDUCATION
teaching younger ants the tricks of the trade
CLIMATE CONTROL
maintaining a strict 77o F. for developing ants
CAREER SPECIALIZATION
changing & learning new careers
CIVIC DUTIES
responding with massive group projects
ARMED FORCES
raising an army of specialized soldier ants
SECURITY
warding off other ants, insects, and animals
EARTH MOVERS
move at least as much soil as earthworms
SOCIAL PLANNING
maintain ratio of workers, soldiers, & reproductives
ENGINEERING
tunnel from 2 directions & meet exactly midway
COMMUNICATIONS
complex tactile, chemical communication system
FLOOD CONTROL
incorporate water traps to keep out rain
LIMITED FREE WILL
inter-relationships more symbiotic than coercive