蚂蚁——世界上最早的农民

World’s First Farmers Were Ants

斐济某些物种通过播种来种植食物比人类早了三百万年。蚂蚁收集和种植种子,甚至保护种子不被吃掉。这种昆虫还会给幼苗施肥,以帮助幼苗生长。蚂蚁吃成熟植物的果实,收获种子用于进一步耕作。这种独特的共生关系对蚂蚁和植物都有好处。人类在约一万两千年前开始耕种,然而只有在过去50年里,科学家才意识到,我们不是唯一一个研究农业的物种。

Fijian species planted seeds to grow food three million years before humans. Ants collect and plant seeds,;and even protect them from beingeaten. The insects will also fertilise1 the seedlings2 to help them grow. Ants eat the fruit of the adult plant and harvest seeds for further farming. Unique symbiotic3 relationship benefits both the ants and the plant. Humans began farming around 12,000 years ago, and only in the past 50 years have scientists realised we' re not the only species to study agriculture.