Brazilian Termite Tunnels as Old as the Pyramids
4,000 years ago some termites started building a tunnel –
and they’re still at it today. The
Brazilian termite tunnels are not visible to the above-ground viewer, but
massive termite mounds are. The mounds
are the result of the termites dumping dug-up dirt, and they cover an area the
size of Great Britain. In fact, they are
so massive that they are visible from space.
The mounds and the interconnected
tunnel system are as old as ancient Egyptian pyramids, with the
tunnels serving as the “greatest known example of ecosystem engineering by a
single insect species.” We’ll be
impressed if man-made tunnels are in existence, and use, for as long.
posted by Josh @ 5:22 AM
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