A study of various species of ants in Manhattan revealed that many ants love fast food. This may explain why certain species thrive in urban areas, North Carolina State University researchers said. To determine the type of food they were eating, researchers conducted a study to assess Manhattan ants’ isotopic levels. Clint Penick (a NC State postdoctoral researcher) was the lead author. He said, “We wanted more information about why certain ant species can live beside us on sidewalks and in buildings while others remain on the fringes of human development.” It could help us identify which species do the best job of cleaning up trash. Pavement ants eat human junk food. Photo Credit: Lauren Nichols, YourWildlife.org. The research findings were published in Proceedings of the Royal Society (citation below). Dr. Amy Savage, and Dr. Rob Dunn from NC State were co-authors. The team of Dr. Penick, along with their colleagues collected 100 samples of ants from various sites in Manhattan (British: sidewalks), parks, and street medians. These are strips of land that lie between major roads and the carriageways. The isotope contents of each insect’s bodies were then measured. They are used to date carbon because they are different versions of the same element with differing amounts of neutrons. The carbon found in food is absorbed into the bodies of all animals including humans. The one type of carbon -13 is related to grasses like sugarcane and corn. Carbon -13, levels in ants who eat lots of human food are higher than those that don’t. Refined sugar and corn are found in most processed foods, including hamburgers made from corn-fed beef. Tetramorium caespitum, the pavement ant is the most frequent ant species found on medians and sidewalks. The highest level of carbon -13. was found in this ant species. Scientists found that the ant species that live in medians have higher levels of carbon -13 than those that are collected from parks. Dr. Penick stated that urban species eat a large portion of human foods. This is because they eat our trash, which may be why the pavement ants can reach such high populations in cities.” Lasius Cf. Emarginatus can be found on Manhattan’s sidewalks, but it avoids junk food. Lasius cf. is the only species of ant. Lasius cf. emarginatus is a rare species of ant that has been discovered in New York City for the last 5 years. It appears to be the exception to urban ants eating human food. L. emarginatus thrives on Manhattan’s medians. However, isotope analysis shows that it doesn’t prefer human food, despite high numbers being found along the streets. Lasius cf. Lasius cf. Dr. Penick stated that this demonstrates the complexity of urban ecosystems. There is still much to be learned about the relationships between species and the environment. Dr. Penick collected samples in Manhattan. Image by Lauren Nichols from YourWildlife.org. The National Science Foundation funded the research. The journal’s Abstract stated that pavement ants could become obese if they are allowed to exploit their human resources. Although they may seem to be sedentary, their urban lifestyles are not dominated by TV. They don’t live asedentary lives. They may be able to avoid one of the greatest health threats facing humans right now. Citation: Clint A. Penick and Amy M. Savage, “Stable Isotopes Reveal Links Between Human Food Inputs and Urban Ant Diets”, Robert R. Dunn. Proceedings B. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2608. Published April 1, 2015.
New study shows that Ants like fast food.
