Ants mutilate each other to increase their chances of survival, study shows | World

A survey published by the magazine Current Biology It has been shown that some ants amputate the limbs of their companions to improve their chances of survival in cases of injury. This behaviour has been observed in ants of this species. Camponotus floridianusfrom Florida, USA.

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During the experiment, the researchers observed that depending on the extent of the injuries, the ants chose to Treatment or amputation The injured leg.

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When the injury was observed in the femur area, the insects bit the base of the affected leg to amputate it, increasing the chances of survival of the affected ant – this was observed in 76% of cases. However, if the injury was in the leg, only the affected area was treated – in this case, no amputation was observed.

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The study, according to the researchers, highlights the first example of using limb amputations to treat injured individuals in non-human species.