Asteroid Impact 66 Million Years Ago Launched Ant Agriculture

Research reveals that the post-dinosaur extinction era created conditions for ants to cultivate fungi, forming a mutualistic relationship that predates human agriculture.

Scientists have traced the origins of ant agriculture to the aftermath of the asteroid that caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs.
Ants began cultivating fungi 66 million years ago, taking advantage of the fungi's proliferation in the low-light environment caused by the asteroid impact.
Genomic studies have identified key adaptations in the fungi farmed by ants, highlighting the mutual dependence between the two species.
Over millions of years, ants developed advanced farming techniques, leading to a sophisticated agricultural system that parallels human crop domestication.
This ancient ant-fungus relationship offers insights into sustainable agriculture and the evolution of farming systems without human intervention.