Basic HTML Version
thcm or store them for food. lnstead,
like any good organic farmer, they
construct their own miniature com–
post pite by first chewing the leaves
into small pieces, then "watering"
them down with their own saliva and
fertilizing them with their own excre–
tions. The ants then cultivate a spe–
cial fungus garden which provides
food for the colony.
Yct that's not the end of the leaf–
cuttcr's agricultural expertise. They
also maintain proper temperature
control over their fungus crop by
opening and closing ant-made venti-
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979
INDUSTRIOUS LEAFCUTTERANTS
snip off precise semicircular pieces of vegeta–
tion for transport back to the nest. Close-up (above) shows worker ant removing
segment of leaf while another worker (below) carries leal section down to the
colony compost pi/e. The ways of the ant pose perplexing problems for evolution.
lation shafts located near the grow–
ing chamber.
The ants don 't learn to harvest
leaves and cultivate their fungus bed;
they do it instinctively.
But could such a high leve! of so–
phistication on the part of the "low–
ly" ant have resulted from time,
chance, and natural selection? How
did the ant's anccstors discover thc
art of organic gardening-cultivat–
ing a fungus with chewed-up, fertil–
ized tree leaves? Who taught thc
leafcutters the art of temperature
control? Isn't it reasonable to con-
elude they had sorne outside help?
l nterest ingly enough, the earlicst
known fossils of ants are apparcntly
identical with species now living! For
this and many other reasons, ants
pose a gigantic problem for the theo–
ry of evolution.
King Solomon said the study of thc
ant would makc one wise. The apos–
tle Paul said that the mind and powcr
of God could be understood from a
study of the things that are madc
(Romans 1:20). Surely the "ways of
the ant" are an excellent place to
start. ::;
23