Flashback, 1935:
Young E.O. “Alabama” Wilson explores the sidewalk outside his home. He is entranced by a scurry of lion ants, genus Dorymyrmex. Despite his respect for living creatures, Alabama is overcome by an urge to crush one of the six-legged beasts. He does the deed. For his effort, he is rewarded with a snoot full of a strange smell. Just as from cookies in the oven, the aroma of crushed lion ant stimulates his hungry curiosity. It is Alabama’s first whiff of science, and it promises a taste of high ant-venture.
Fast-forward to 1958:
Now grown up, Alabama Wilson has rocked the scientific world with an amazing discovery. He has uncovered a tantalizing clue to how ants communicate. Ants have a gland located at the base of their stingers. The gland produces a special chemical called a pheromone. Ants use this pheromone to paint invisible trails to food they have found. Other ants pick up the scent of the pheromone and follow the trail to the eats. It is a powerful signal. An ant trail made of one teaspoon of this pheromone could circle Earth 5,000 times!
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
