Trending:

Earth has approximately 20,000,000,000,000,000 ants; they weigh more than all wild birds and wild mammals combined

The research, which has now been published on the website of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), said our planet harbours approximately 20 quadrillion ants. If we wrote it down in numerical form, it would look like this - 20,000,000,000,000,000. 20 quadrillion means 20 thousand million millions. We know it takes time for the eyes to read the number of zeroes of such a behemoth figure. Take your time.

TN Viral Desk

Updated Sep 27, 2022, 14:27 IST

Representational image

Photo : iStock

Ants are eusocial insects that evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 15,000 species of ants have been classified so far.

They are everywhere. In fact, it is quite possible that you come across at least one ant every day in your life.

Many of us have often wondered just exactly how many ants live on our planet? This is something that can never be answered in absolute numbers.

However, a new study claims to have estimated the world's collective ant population constitutes about 12 million tonnes of dry carbon.

But that's not all. The study went on to reveal some more fascinating facts about the tiny critters.

The research, which has now been published on the website of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), said our planet harbours approximately 20 quadrillion ants.

If we wrote it down in numerical form, it would look like this - 20,000,000,000,000,000.

20 quadrillion means 20 thousand million millions.

We know it takes time for the eyes to read the number of zeroes of such a behemoth figure. Take your time.

The study further noted that the total weight of ants possibly exceeds the mass of all the world's mammals and birds. It's also equal to about one-fifth of the total weight of humans.

There are more than 15,700 named species and subspecies of ants, many of which have not been named yet by scientists.

Can such a huge number play a big role in running our world? Duh.

Eminent biologist Edward O Wilson had said that insects and invertebrates are “the little things that run the world”.

Because of their large number, ants play a huge role in aerating the soil, dispersing seeds, breaking down organic material, and creating habitats for other animals.

That's why they form a very important part of the food chain.

The research published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) involved the analysis of 489 studies of ant populations conducted by scientists around the world.

While previous studies followed a 'top-down' approach of assuming ants comprise about 1% of the world's total insect population, the new 'bottom-up' research use data on ants observed directly in the field to arrive at more accurate numbers.

Latest News