Ants are industrious little creatures, as anyone who has ever owned and ant farm can confirm. They create complex sets of tunnels apparently at random, while all seeming to be working toward a single goal.
Scientists have always been fascinated by the hive mentality of ants, so when a large abandoned ant nest was discovered in Brazil, they seized the opportunity to explore the ant world through a rather unique method.
The scientists spent ten days pouring over 10 tons of concrete into the surface air vents of the ant nest. After allowing the concrete to set for a month they then began excavating the ground around the nest to reveal the internal structure. What they discovered surprised them all.
The nest extended to a depth of 26 feet and covered an area of 500 square feet. The complex featured a design that provided good ventilation, and a network of tunnels that provided the shortest route between key locations from anywhere in the nest.
All in all, the scientists estimate that the ants would have excavated close on 40 tons of sand while they were building the nest with each ant knowing exactly what it needed to do.The researchers likened the building of the nest to the construction of the Great Wall of China.
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