The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week Surgery For Ants, Hot Sharks, Too Many Galaxies
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Jul 31, 2024 Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier reveals that there are potentially too many galaxies for us to comprehend. Sara Kiley dives into the evolutionary history of ancient sharks and how climate changes shaped their adaptations. Rachel explains how ants act as mini surgeons, performing intricate procedures to help injured colony mates. Discover the surprising possibilities that ant saliva holds for future research and intriguing parallels between ancient and modern marine life amidst current climate challenges.
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Ants' Self-Medication
- Metabolite ants produce a healing goo with antimicrobial properties to treat infected wounds.
- This goo-based wound treatment is highly effective and preferentially applied to infected wounds.
Ant Surgery
- Florida carpenter ants, lacking healing goo glands, amputate injured legs of nestmates.
- This amputation surgery is a sophisticated social behavior observed in non-human animals.
Ant Diagnostics
- Ants' surgical procedures involve diagnostics based on wound location and circulation impact.
- Upper leg injuries are amputated due to slower infection spread, while lower leg injuries are cleaned.