3 ms·
If by "survive" you mean "age and die leaving nothing behind", then sure. But the same is true for an ant.
by hypertele-Xii 3y ago
If by "survive" you mean "age and die leaving nothing behind", then sure.
But the same is true for an ant.
- int_19h 3y agoNo, it is not true for an ant. A solitary worker ant will not die from old age. Many species will literally starve to death within a few days because they cannot properly digest their food without trophallaxis.
- hypertele-Xii 3y agoYou're right, it seems ants need each other to digest food, though scientists don't yet know why exactly. From the New Yorker [1]: > The researchers aren’t yet sure exactly what causes the digestive slowdown. Maybe it’s stress. Maybe the fluid that ants exchange when they share food stimulates digestion. Maybe they die still looking for a relative to break bread with. [1] https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/lonely-ant https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/lonely-a...