In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers have discovered that Florida carpenter ants are capable of performing life-saving surgery on their fellow ants. This makes them the second animal in the world, after humans, known to perform such complex surgeries.
Lead author of the study, Erik Frank, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Würzburg in Germany, found that these ants can diagnose and treat wounds by either cleaning or amputating limbs. This is a unique behavior in the animal kingdom, where amputation is performed systematically on another member of the same species.
The research was prompted by a previous study in 2023 that found African ants could treat infected wounds with antibacterial compounds. Since Florida carpenter ants don’t have similar glands, Frank’s team wanted to understand how they care for their injured fellow ants. Through experiments, they observed how the ants treated different types of leg wounds and found that amputations significantly increased the survival rate of patients.
The study revealed that the ants only amputated thigh wounds rather than leg wounds due to limitations in speed. The time it takes to amputate a limb allows for bacteria-laden blood to circulate and spread infection. By focusing on amputating thigh wounds, where blood flow is slower, the ants can prevent spreading infection more effectively.
Frank explained that this surgical behavior is innate and not learned behavior. The researchers are now expanding their investigation to other species of ants to see if this medical capability is present in ants that lack special antibacterial glands. This discovery highlights the remarkable medical capabilities of these small creatures resembling human medical systems in some aspects.
Overall, this study demonstrates how even small animals can possess complex behaviors and abilities beyond our imagination.