Ants from the nuclear bunker in Templevo a biological sensation
On the site of the abandoned Soviet nuclear base in Templewo in Lubuskie province, researchers found in one of the bunkers a strange mound of ants, which became a biological sensation on a global scale. These ants do not reproduce and live almost without food, but their mound is still teeming with life.
In 2013, scientists visited a former Soviet bunker, in whichóThe site was once used to store nuclear weapons in order to count the number of bats living there. However, their attention caught not bats, but living there almost cut off from the outside world and in total darkness mrówki. The specialists were informed about the strange findingów – myrmecologistów.
Scientists from Poland and Finland, led by prof. Wojciech Czechowski from the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw became interested in the matter. Teamóhe visited the mound several times over the course of three years. During one of the visits the researchers dug up part of the mound in search of larvae and crólowa, whichóThe researchers visited a former Soviet bunker, which was used to promote knowledge about the Rosetta missionóThe ants do not reproduce. However, during the next visit the researchers noticed that the disturbed part of the mound had been repaired.
The researchers returnedóThey also paid attention to the cemetery of mróants, whichóre stretched at the foot ofómound. They linked this with the difficult access to food in the enclosed nuclear bunker and concluded that mrówki do the deedóin cannibalism.
It was only later that a second mound of ants was found on the surfaceóThe moths, the species in question, whichówhich is located exactly above the underground mound. It turned out that mróThe ants from the surface fell through a destroyed ventilation shaft into the bunker and stayed there. One wonders, however, why mrómoths do not get out of the bunker, which they could easily do, after all, they can move along walls and ceilings. Why? Scientists do not know the answer to this question.
MróThe film shows that, in spite ofóThe ants that fell into the bunker are living there and trying to function normally, as evidenced by the fact that the mound, which had been disturbed earlier by the researchers, has been repaired. They live in darkness for up to a year, although on the surface this species lives up to three years. Then, as is normal in the world, they make a living or become food for their matesós companions.
– So you can see that despite the extremely unfavorableóin the mróThe ants are trying to function as normally as possible. They organize themselves according to their instinct – said „Gazeta Lubuska” Prof. Czechowski. – – I knew it was going to be a natural curiosity, but I had no idea the issue would get so much publicity. Not only Polish media write about it. Mrójournalists from Stanóin the United States, England and even Hungary – added.
Another puzzling fact is that the colony is increasing in population instead of shrinking. TeamóProfessor Czechowski estimated that the underground mound is home to about twoóch millionów mrówek.
