China Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1894&e=3&u=/ap/20040812/ap_on_sc/australia_ant_colony Ants Form Supercolony Spanning 60 Miles Thu Aug 12, 5:57 PM ET MELBOURNE, Australia - Normally clannish and agressive Argentine ants have become so laid back since arriving in Australia decades ago that they no longer fight neighboring nests and have formed a supercolony here that spans 60 miles, scientists say. The huge colony stretches under the southern Australian city of Melbourne. Argentine ants are not harmful to humans, but have been known to displace native plants and animals. "In Argentina, their native homeland, ant colonies span tens of meters, are genetically diverse and highly aggressive towards one another," Monash University researcher Elissa Suhr said in a statement this week. "So, population numbers never explode and they are no threat to other plants and animals." However, Suhr said the genetic structure of Argentine ants here has changed since they first arrived in 1939, making them less aggressive and more likely to mate with ants from neighboring nests. "Now they're uncolonial ... and the ants from different nests are not aggressive towards one another. So that enables them to grow into an absolutely enormous colony that covers the whole city," Suhr told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio late Wednesday. Suhr said the Argentine ants could even displace native species by taking over local habitats and preying on insects commonly eaten by Australian ants. Australia is not the only country to be invaded by the Argentine ants, Suhr said. "In California, they have displaced native ants, decreased the diversity of other native insects, affected the dispersal of seeds and even decreased lizard numbers," she said. ------------------------------------ It's THEM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinInsite Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 Wow the ants have evolved to be human like.... Just taking over the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 If they were American ants, I could believe it, but Argentine ants would be too lazy to take over the world... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cskin Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 If they were American ants... the rest of the world would hate them for their unilateral actions and arrogant stance on ant issues. Of course, the first time there is an ant issue that results in the need for ant armies.... the American ants would be the first ones called. The French ants would piss and moan.... and start building a Majinot ant line to defend themselves.... yet still surrender at the first sign of trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1966 Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 and there would be ads for used french army ant weapons, never fired and only dropped once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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