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