“A denial of progress and the assumption of retrogression is a point-blank contradiction to the ascertained and essential nature of man. It opposes the known desire for change, and denies the instinctive hope and aspiration of humanity for something better.”
— Frederick Douglass, “It Moves (1883)” (via philosophybits)
honeypot ants are an example of solving a problem using extreme body specialization - in this case, what happens when youre an ant colony in an area with extreme temperatures or unreliable food sources? the answer sometimes is that your friends turn you into a living jar of juice
theres a variety of ant species that do something similar found all over the globe, but the basics are about the same - honeypot ants cluster together, dangling from the top of the tunnels, waiting to be tended to and drunk from by other thirsty ants. theyre basically a living pantry
other ants receive the nectar within by exchanging it via mouth, and the same goes for feeding the honeypot ants! theyre more or less completely immobile their entire adult lives, existing only to feed and be fed
as for eating, theyve been a source of sugar for local indigenous groups in the areas theyre found in for ages…..heres david attenborough biting one
