Researchers discovered that a species of ants can determine the time of limb wounds and decide to amputate if the surgery can save a life.
Humans are no longer the only species on Earth that can perform surgery to save lives. A new study says that certain species of ants can not only detect injuries in colony members but also decide whether an amputation surgery is needed to save that ant's life. Unlike humans, the ants don't have to go to med school beforehand, and any ant in the colony is capable of conducting these seemingly basic medical interventions to ensure the survival of another fellow ant.
The researchers observed that amputation of a limb suffering from an infected femur wound would significantly increase the chances of survival for the patient. The ants amputated 21 of the 24 femur-injured ants, and all 21 survived. The three that didn't get surgery died. It's unclear why three of these Florida carpenter ads did not get surgery. Comparatively, none of the 24 tibia-injured ants had their limbs amputated.
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