Ants' Ancient Agricultural Practices Unveiled by New Research

Ants began cultivating fungi 66 million years ago, following the asteroid impact that caused a mass extinction.

The asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs created conditions where fungi thrived, leading ants to develop farming techniques.
Ants have been practicing agriculture for millions of years, predating human agricultural activities.
A comprehensive study analyzed genetic data from hundreds of ant and fungi species to trace their co-evolutionary history.
Leafcutter ants represent the most advanced form of ant agriculture, cultivating fungi to sustain large colonies.
Research suggests ants' farming techniques evolved significantly 27 million years ago, similar to human crop domestication.