Scientists Discover Ants were Full-On Farmers Long Before Humans

Humans need to stop thinking they are superior to the rest of nature.  Seriously.


Ant colonies discovered farming their own fruit crops

The insects may have started farming millions of years before humans developed agriculture.

Ant colonies on the island of Fiji have been discovered growing their own tropical fruits. They harvest seeds from Squamellaria fruit plants, plant them, nurture them, and then eat and even live inside the fruits, making full use of their precious crop. In turn, the plants have been “domesticated” to the point where they can’t grow on their own; they require their ant farmers to harvest them, reports New Scientist.

 


Journal reference: Nature Plants, DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.181