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Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

sciencedaily.com

31–40 of 47 posts

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#31
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are more mites specialized to live on your eyebrows skin than many like to think about. =3

Not just mites, we’re absolutely covered and full of commensal organisms. What’s really interesting is how specialized these organisms have become, like the difference between body and head lice. We have critters socialized to just our eyebrows and eyelashes, others only live in apocrine sweat glands, etc. Even before you get to the literal kilograms of bacteria, fungi and other fauna in our guts we’re a whole world…

If you think about the most commonly accepted history of eukaryotic life, it’s been this way from the beginning! Our cells themselves are bags of specialized microorganisms that changed and became integral to each other’s existence over time.

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#33
post #32

I'm more concerned about the giant desert ants. I've seen that movie...

Or jungle ants...

"Commissioner: Leiningen, you're up against a monster twenty miles long and two miles wide... forty square miles of agonizing death! You can't stop it!"

-- quote from The Naked Jungle.

Trivia - I believe this is from where Clojure got their build tool name.

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#34
post #32

I'm more concerned about the giant desert ants. I've seen that movie...

Or jungle ants... "Commissioner: Leiningen, you're up against a monster twenty miles long and two miles wide... forty square miles of agonizing death! You can't stop it! " -- quote from The Naked Jungle. Trivia - I believe this is from where Clojure got their build tool name.

The movie is from the classic original story “Leinengen Versus the Ants”:

The Brazilian official threw up lean and lanky arms and clawed the air with wildly distended fingers. "Leiningen!" he shouted. "You're insane! They're not creatures you can fight--they're an elemental--an 'act of God!' Ten miles long, two miles wide--ants, nothing but ants!”

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#35
I am surprised they used the comparison of the fish over the practice of "anting" which is a behavior that more than 200 species of birds do in which they will land on an ant next and allow ants to crawl all over them. The theory being that the ants release formic acid which is a natural defense against parasites, fungi and mites.

I have a couple ant nests on my property and have witnessed several crows at a time land on the nests and do this behaviour on multiple occasions.

What ever the reason the bigger ants are allowing this to happen I am convinced that there is some sort of beneficial reason.

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#38
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a Sense, cats did actually. Not through direct contact, but by getting rid of mice and rats that infiltrate food storage.

Cat’s will also literally try to clean you as well!

When i was born, my parents cats groomed me. After a year or two they stopped. But yeah, some cats cats totally groom humans.

Re: Scientists discover “cleaner ants” that groom giant ants in Arizona desert

#39

why haven't any animals adapted to this role for humans!

most people find it disgusting, but some rat owners will let their rats clean their teeth and the rats seem to enjoy the activity much like how other social animals enjoy grooming each other
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