How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs made ants into farmers

22/10/2024 16 min
How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs made ants into farmers

Listen "How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs made ants into farmers"

Episode Synopsis

Madeleine Finlay hears from Ted Schultz, curator of ants at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, about his recent study into the origins of fungi farming in ants. He tells Madeleine about the incredibly complex way that ants cultivate and protect their fungi gardens, and how the asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago could have kickstarted it all. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod