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This story is really misleading. It's not a "megacolony" -- it's several distinct colonies from around the world that don't connect in any way. The meat of the

This story is really misleading. It's not a "megacolony" -- it's several distinct colonies from around the world that don't connect in any way. The meat of the article is that researchers collected specimens from around the world, and some of the ants from different colonies didn't try to kill each other on sight.

Retric 17y ago
Their point is the colony's are connected by people continously transporting ant's between each giant colony. So even if there is not a fixed land bridge there is continous mixing between the colony's. What's even more interesting is people probably help to create and maintain the giant colony's in the same geographic area in the same way. Edit: Not to complain, but what's up with the -2?
- michaelawill 17y ago
  I was a little confused at that too. I didn't downmod you but your original post had some pretty mangled grammar. Looks better now though.
michaelawill 17y ago
You sound unimpressed. But do you really feel you could take humans from all around the world and put them together without them trying to kill one another?
- rw 17y ago
  At age 2 or 3, absolutely! What happens when they're older is anyone's guess.
  - gcheong 17y ago
    Maybe as long as there aren't any toys in the room.
- aswanson 17y ago
  AFAIK, no one in my college killed any other student while we were there, whether they were citizens or on student visa.
- kragen 17y ago
  Yes. I lived in San Francisco for years. The murder rate there is about 7 per 100 000 population per year. Does that qualify as "not trying to kill one another" in your book?
noodle 17y ago
well, i believe they're using the term "megacolony" in reference to the fact that ants from different colonies are usually aggressive to ants from other colonies. but in this case, several giant colonies from different continents aren't aggressive towards one another and are genetically linked, so they're referring to the group of familial and non-aggressive colonies as a megacolony.
DougWebb 17y ago
Like StreetFighter, without the action.
gurtwo 17y ago
A "metacolony" would be better suited? But that will miss the size notion that "mega" brings

Retric 17y ago

Their point is the colony's are connected by people continously transporting ant's between each giant colony. So even if there is not a fixed land bridge there is continous mixing between the colony's. What's even more interesting is people probably help to create and maintain the giant colony's in the same geographic area in the same way. Edit: Not to complain, but what's up with the -2?

michaelawill 17y ago
I was a little confused at that too. I didn't downmod you but your original post had some pretty mangled grammar. Looks better now though.

michaelawill 17y ago

You sound unimpressed. But do you really feel you could take humans from all around the world and put them together without them trying to kill one another?

rw 17y ago
At age 2 or 3, absolutely! What happens when they're older is anyone's guess.
- gcheong 17y ago
  Maybe as long as there aren't any toys in the room.
aswanson 17y ago
AFAIK, no one in my college killed any other student while we were there, whether they were citizens or on student visa.
kragen 17y ago
Yes. I lived in San Francisco for years. The murder rate there is about 7 per 100 000 population per year. Does that qualify as "not trying to kill one another" in your book?

noodle 17y ago

well, i believe they're using the term "megacolony" in reference to the fact that ants from different colonies are usually aggressive to ants from other colonies. but in this case, several giant colonies from different continents aren't aggressive towards one another and are genetically linked, so they're referring to the group of familial and non-aggressive colonies as a megacolony.

DougWebb 17y ago

Like StreetFighter, without the action.

gurtwo 17y ago

A "metacolony" would be better suited? But that will miss the size notion that "mega" brings