this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 59 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

we conservatively estimate 20 × 10^15 (20 quadrillion) ants on Earth, with a total biomass of 12 megatons of dry carbon. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals and equals 20% of human biomass. -- source

If there's a lot of something, we mammals are going to learn how to eat it.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 weeks ago

Exactly. The ants were doing a lot more than existing

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 31 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Whoa. That's a big fuckin' ant.

[–] shadowedcross@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Humans are cheating since we'll eat anything that's edible, and a lot of things that aren't supposed to be.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I just ate a burrito drowned in apricot-habanero hot sauce which I further modified by adding extra habaneros and red thai chilis. I'm pretty sure capsaicin was meant to deter mammals from eating hot peppers.

[–] Smoogs@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Brace yourselves... farts are comin

[–] TheKingBee@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

It deters me lol

[–] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Like petroleum. Well, stuff made from it anyway.

[–] TheTurner@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Roasted queen leaf cutter ants?

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] TheTurner@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

Ah! I have seen these guys on videos before. Neat large species of flying leaf cutters!

[–] NorthWestWind@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] damnedfurry@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Kind of the opposite, looks like evolution is trying desperately to get rid of ants, lol. Possibly replacing them with crabs.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Turn the ants into crabs.

Crab ants crab ants crab ants crab ants crab ants... And now it reads like a slur

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ant-eating crabs will be the ultimate result of evolution.

[–] Sphks@jlai.lu 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

With ants looking like tiny crabs

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 weeks ago

... eating even tinier ants

[–] Cube6392@beehaw.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

anteaters are a step on the path to crab, confirmed

[–] webp@mander.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)