Southeastern's Science on Tap presents lecture on fungal farming in ants
Thursday, April 19, 2018
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Assistant Professor of Biology
April Wright will present the next Science on Tap presentation titled “Farmers Below
Our Feet: How Ants Use Fungus to Shape Ecosystems.”
Wright will discuss the natural history of fungal farming in ants, as well as
how modern statistical tools have made it possible to understand the evolution of
their behavior.
Sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences, the presentation is scheduled
May 1, at 7 p.m. at Tope La Catering, 113 East Thomas St. in Hammond, and is free
and open to all ages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with food and beverages available for
purchase.
“Farming is one of the most conspicuous ways in which humans have altered the
natural environment. But did you know that we are not the only species to farm for
our food?” asked Wright. “Ants have been farming fungal crops for food for millions
of years before any human ever picked up a rake. Unlike us, ants perform the majority
of their farming under the Earth’s surface in specialized chambers, tending enormous
fungal gardens right below our feet.”
For information on this or future Science on Tap presentations, contact the Department
of Biological Sciences at 985-549-3740.
