Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did

Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours.

- BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN ENTOMOLOGY, University of Sydney & CHRIS R. REID ARC Future Fellow in behavioural ecology, Macquarie University

The job needed verbal commands for social coordination (“pivot!”) and anticipation of near-future events (moving other furniture out of the way). It also required a clear, shared vision of the final goal (which room to take the couch to).

It’s a small but satisfying example of human cooperation. But before we all get too pleased with ourselves, consider that ants - creatures with tiny brains and no capacity for speech - routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.

Understanding ant intelligence

Earth is literally crawling with ants. Scientists estimate there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. That’s 20 followed by 15 zeros - more ants than stars in our galaxy!

These incredible insects are amongst the most successful organisms on the planet. Part of the success comes from an ability to form complex societies, ranging from a few individuals to millions. And those societies, or colonies, are remarkably cooperative.

Take, for example, ants’ abilities to move large food items. To do it, they mobilise teams of dozens or even hundreds of fellow workers. Together, they efficiently work together to transport the load back to the nest.

Longhorn crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis) are even known to clear debris from a path before a heavy object arrives - seemingly anticipating its trajectory and preparing the way.