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The Jura Mountains
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on the French-Swiss border
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are in the grip of winter.
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00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,040
The ground has been frozen solid
for months.
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00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,200
This is a tough place
in which to live.
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I'm told that clearings like these
could be the home of a real giant.
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00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,480
At this time of the year,
it'll be in hiding.
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00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,760
But evidence of its existence -
these strange mounds -
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is everywhere.
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Inside here, deep down and protected
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from the cold, the giant is asleep.
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00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,800
Beneath the thatch of spruce needles
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00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,440
lies a maze of tunnels
and chambers -
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00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,280
the home of hibernating wood ants.
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00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,320
Individually, they are tiny,
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00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:10,000
but they're members
of a giant super-colony.
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When temperatures rise, over half
a billion of them will emerge
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and dominate this landscape.
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Scientists are only just working out
how ants manage to survive up here.
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00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,040
But in fact there's a much greater
and more profound mystery
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that has brought me
up this mountain.
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Among ants, co-operation
between colonies is very rare.
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Warfare is common.
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Yet these nests over a great area
live at peace with one another.
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This may sound like an epic tale
of war and peace
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00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,400
but does it also contain
an echo of human nature?
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These ants,
in some extraordinary way,
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have exchanged war for peace.
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It's now recognised
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as one of the largest of all
insect super-societies,
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and its very existence conflicts
with some of the laws of evolution
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as we presently understand them.
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It's been a long, cold winter here
in the Swiss Jura Mountains.
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It's hard to believe
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that any insect could survive
in this frozen landscape.
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But now change is in the air.
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00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:03,520
Soon, ant nests all over this
mountain will come to life.
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Some of these mounds
are independent colonies
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00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,840
but others are part of
one huge super-colony.
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00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,720
Over the coming months,
I'll be looking at the differences
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00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,760
between these two
wood ant societies -
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00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,400
one that wages war
with all its neighbours,
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and the other, which welcomes them
and lives at peace.
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00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,040
As the grip of winter eases,
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sentries emerge from the mounds
to check on conditions.
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They detect the sign that
they've been waiting for -
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the temperatures are rising.
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00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,360
Spring is on the way.
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00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:11,560
The ants survive the winter thanks
to their own central-heating system,
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00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:16,360
warmth given off by the slow
decomposition of the dead vegetation
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00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,600
in the nest's fabric,
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00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,520
and that prevented them all
from freezing.
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00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,960
Now, by swarming all over
the surface of the nest,
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they are recharging their batteries,
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00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,480
absorbing heat
directly from the sun's rays.
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00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:53,000
This behaviour only happens over
one or two days in the early spring.
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00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,600
The worker ants have
emerged into the sunshine
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00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,200
and are now clumping together.
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00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,920
And they're not just sunbathing.
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00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,720
It could well be that the
ultraviolet rays of the sun
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cure them of any infections
from viruses or fungi
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that may have happened during
their long sleep underground.
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00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,400
You can almost feel the enthusiasm
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with which these little creatures
are enjoying their sunbathe.
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This is unusual enough but now here
is something truly extraordinary.
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There is a queen.
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She's almost twice the size
of her subjects.
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She's also the most important
member of her family.
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00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,560
And what's more, there's another.
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00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,800
To see a queen exposed
and vulnerable outside the nest
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is very rare indeed.
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There's one.
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00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,600
And there's another...
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00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,840
..shining wonderfully
in the sunshine.
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00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,520
A normal wood ant nest usually has
just a single queen
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00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,760
who lays all the eggs -
but clearly this is not so here.
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There's another. There's another.
Several of them.
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00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:30,400
Amazing.
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00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,400
After a few moments
in the sunshine -
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the only time they see
daylight in the whole year -
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the queens disappear
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and make their way back to the
chambers deep in the nest.
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Those unwilling to go
are dragged back.
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00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,120
We may call them queens
but there's no sovereign rule here.
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00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,400
The workers govern by consensus,
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00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,560
and they decide when and where
the queens will go.
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00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,760
There may be hundreds of queens
in this single nest,
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00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:29,480
and there over a thousand such
mounds as this, all interconnected.
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00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,280
So, across the super-colony
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00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,400
there may be as many
as a million queens.
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00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,320
It's now early April.
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00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,560
The queens' return below
to prepare for the egg-laying
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started a race against the clock.
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00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,560
They must complete their most
important work below
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00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,880
in the next two months.
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00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,080
Using infrared light,
which is invisible to the ants,
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00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,080
we can watch them inside their nest
without disturbing them.
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00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,200
Most of the first eggs to be laid
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will produce the next generation
of breeding individuals -
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00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,160
the queens and the males -
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both of whom will have wings.
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00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,520
Inside the thousand nests
of the super-colony,
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over half a billion
mostly unrelated worker ants
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co-operate to make sure that the
queens and the males will be ready
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00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,600
for their mating flights
in mid-June.
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00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,440
With all these developments
on the way, it's imperative
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00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,000
that the workers collect more food
as soon as possible.
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00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:06,520
But many of the mounds
are still surrounded by snow...
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00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,120
..so the workers can't reach
their feeding grounds.
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00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,920
But there's something
they can collect -
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heat.
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The nest needs more heat
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00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,080
than that which comes from
the rotting vegetation
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if the eggs are to hatch in time
for their June appointment.
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00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,440
Now, however, the ants have
another source of warmth.
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Using their bodies as solar panels,
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the ants harvest the sunlight.
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We have a heat-sensitive camera that
detects differences in temperature.
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The nest appears black
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because it's hotter
than the surrounding environment.
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It shows a similar difference
in the ants.
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Those going down into the nest
are black
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because they've been
heated by the sun,
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00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:26,320
whereas those coming out
are white because they're cold,
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having transferred their body heat
to their charges
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in the chambers below.
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It's this kind of selfless
collaboration
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that is the key to success
of any ant colony.
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In normal ant colonies,
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all the workers are related
to one another and to the queen,
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and the theory is that
that is why they all co-operate.
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But that is not the case here.
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There are hundreds of queens here.
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00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:09,720
Over one thousand have been
counted in a single nest,
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so all the workers
can't have the same parents -
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and genetics have confirmed
that this is so.
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It's this co-operation between
unrelated ants in a single colony
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that appears to be rewriting
the rules of insect evolution,
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00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,080
but we still don't really know
how this has come about.
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00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,680
Spring is now well on the way.
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00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,720
The snow has disappeared,
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and colour comes to the meadows.
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By late April, there are piles
of eggs in the nest
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and the first larvae are hatching.
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The workers labour unceasingly
to ensure that the growing brood
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will be ready to emerge
in six weeks' time,
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at the peak of the short
Jura summer.
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But not every ant nest on this
mountain can be so focused.
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Some will soon have to deal with
threats to their very survival.
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Just a short distance away,
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on the borders of the super-colony's
woodland territory,
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there are other wood ants.
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The mounds here on this side of the
mountain look exactly the same
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as those of the super-colony,
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and so do the ants themselves.
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The inhabitants of each
nest here are all the offspring
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of its single queen,
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and the colonies compete
aggressively with one another.
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00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,000
After the winter hibernation,
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the territories between that nest
over there and this one here
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have become blurred, and the
frontier has to be re-established.
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And in order to do that,
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workers from both nests
are now scouring the ground,
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and that brings neighbouring ants
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into contact for the first time
this season.
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00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,040
When foragers from
the different nests meet,
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they immediately recognise
that they're from rival families.
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They then dash back to their nests
and within minutes both colonies
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know that territory on their
frontier is being disputed.
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Armies assemble.
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This...is war.
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And the weapons being used
are chemical.
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Formic acid.
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00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,840
I can smell it in the air.
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They're squirting it
from the ends of their abdomen,
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and if they can bite their opponents
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so that the formic acid gets
beneath the outer shell of an ant,
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it will dissolve
its internal organs.
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00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,160
As they grapple,
each tries to restrain its opponent
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00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,200
by clamping its jaws
around a leg or an antenna.
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00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,080
Soldiers from both sides
tug at their opponents' limbs.
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It can take seven ants
to subdue a single enemy.
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One holds each leg,
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and the seventh uses its mandibles
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to cut open sections
of their opponent's exoskeleton,
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00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,520
exposing the insides.
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00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,560
An attacker brings
forward its abdomen under its body
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and squirts acid onto its victim.
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00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,960
Battles are going on everywhere.
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00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,760
Each colony carries its own chemical
badge, invisible to our eyes
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00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,000
but clear to the ants'
sensitive antennae.
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Fighters touch each other
to confirm whose side they're on.
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Here and there, individuals
clamber up the vegetation.
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Are they having a rest,
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00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,000
or are they surveying progress
to see where help is needed?
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00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,440
The smell of formic acid
reaches the colony,
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00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,440
and more ants from both sides
run to join the battle.
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00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,400
These wars can continue
for over a week.
199
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:45,200
At their peak, many thousands are
fighting and thousands are killed.
200
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,680
The victors will certainly have
enlarged their territory...
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00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,960
..but some say they have also gained
other rewards.
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00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,960
They're taking off the bodies
of their victims
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00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,960
and carrying them back to the nest
over there to feast upon them.
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00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,880
Both sides have suffered
heavy losses.
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00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:46,200
For the ants in the meadow, it has
been a costly start to the year.
206
00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,440
Higher up the mountain,
in the territory of the
super-colony,
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00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,480
the inhabitants of different nests
are also meeting.
208
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,440
But here, things are very different.
209
00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:14,640
These ants come from a mound
about half a mile away.
210
00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,640
If that mound was a separate,
independent colony,
211
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,240
then these, when they land there,
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00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,000
would be savagely attacked.
213
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,760
But let's see what happens.
214
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:43,720
At first, the resident ant
makes an aggressive gesture.
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00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,640
But then the other strokes
the first's antennae.
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00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:59,280
That gesture is a request for food,
and the other obligingly feeds her.
217
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,040
This behaviour -
known as trophallaxis -
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00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,280
is in itself not unusual.
219
00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,720
Most ants do it at times.
220
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:15,520
What is unique is that these ants
are almost certainly unrelated,
221
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,040
yet they treat each other as
if they were from the same nest.
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00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:26,160
They do this because they share
the super-colony scent,
223
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,160
a chemical signature that is
transferred together with the food.
224
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:41,160
In one experiment, scientists fed
a distinctive chemical to a nest
225
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,440
on one side of the super-colony,
226
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,120
and eight weeks later
that same chemical appeared
227
00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:49,440
far away on the other side.
228
00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:59,320
It's this sharing of food between
over half a billion individuals
229
00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,520
that makes this super-society
so truly remarkable.
230
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,920
Because of this, super-colony ants
can move freely between mounds,
231
00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:19,880
and they have, as a result,
232
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,800
created over 100km of trails
233
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,880
that link over 1,000 nests.
234
00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:33,800
These trails not only allow
the ants to make new nests
235
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:35,120
deep in the forest,
236
00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:38,040
they also give all the members
of the super-colony
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00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,160
access to resources
of great value to them.
238
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,840
It comes from the spruce trees.
239
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,920
The ants don't feed directly
on the spruce trees.
240
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,000
They become farmers.
241
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,920
And these...are their flocks.
242
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,280
Aphids.
243
00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:24,360
The presence of the ants
keeps insect predators at bay
244
00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:27,960
so the aphids can feed unmolested.
245
00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,480
They drink the tree's sap
246
00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:35,520
and excrete what they don't need
as a sugary liquid called honeydew.
247
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,760
And the ants love it.
248
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,560
Just as human farmers
milk their cows,
249
00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,840
so the ants stroke the aphids
with their antennae
250
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,840
to persuade them
to release their honeydew.
251
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:07,840
Once the aphids are milked
252
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,000
and the ants have drunk as much
honeydew as they can carry,
253
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:18,120
they head down the tree, abdomens
bulging, and return to the nest.
254
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:30,400
The honeydew is not only food
with which to sustain themselves.
255
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,040
Some use it to raise the heat
of their bodies well above normal,
256
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,080
and so warm the atmosphere
within the nest -
257
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:40,560
a valuable ability in
the fickle climate of the Jura.
258
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,440
The spruce trees themselves
also produce a substance
259
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,320
that the ants can use directly.
260
00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:59,440
These ants have collected
little flakes of resin.
261
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,400
That's a sort of gum that
oozes from the broken twig
262
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,920
of a coniferous tree.
263
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,200
The tree uses it
to seal off an injury.
264
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,640
But what are the ants using it for?
265
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,480
Inside the nest, the extra warmth
produced by honeydew
266
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,960
helps the queens to keep laying
267
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,360
and the larvae to keep growing.
268
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,800
However, constant warmth
can create problems.
269
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,640
Despite regular cleaning,
diseases can thrive.
270
00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,960
The ants have a remarkable solution
to that problem.
271
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,920
They cover the surface of the mounds
with tiny nuggets of resin,
272
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,560
and also take it
into the chambers below.
273
00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,560
One nest contained
over four kilos of it.
274
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,200
It is, in fact, ant medicine.
275
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,560
The ants combine acid
from their bodies with the resin
276
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,440
and so produce a very
effective antibiotic.
277
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,360
This is one of the most
sophisticated animal pharmacologies
278
00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:21,840
known to science.
279
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,880
It's been shown that wood ants
living in nests that contain resin
280
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,640
are better able to survive diseases
than those that don't,
281
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,400
and their eggs are far less likely
to be infected by fungi.
282
00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:49,520
This immense, peaceful super-colony
has few enemies.
283
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,640
But now, at the end of May,
a new threat has arrived.
284
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,120
BELL JANGLES
285
00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:01,000
COW MOOS
286
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:09,120
The Jura is famous for producing
some of Europe's finest cheese.
287
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:17,960
For generations, farmers have made
small clearings in the woods
288
00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,080
to create meadows
where cattle can graze.
289
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,520
Only now is it warm enough
290
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:31,720
for cows to be brought up
to these high pastures.
291
00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:42,880
Somehow, the ants need to make sure
that they're left alone,
292
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,560
and that nothing
damages their nests.
293
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,240
And that's a considerable challenge,
even for a super-colony.
294
00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,720
But these ants are very determined.
295
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,720
When one squirts its acid,
others follow suit.
296
00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,760
The result is a
co-ordinated barrage.
297
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,600
The cows are not harmed, but they do
get a dose of acid in the nose -
298
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,160
which they don't like -
299
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,520
and they tend thereafter
to avoid these mounds.
300
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:08,240
By now, in June, the larvae
have become big and greedy.
301
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:10,720
They must be given special care
302
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,840
because they will produce
the next generation of royalty,
303
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,000
so the workers labour hard
to meet their demands.
304
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:23,880
In summer, hundreds of thousands
of eggs are hatching every day,
305
00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,160
and honeydew is not enough.
306
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:31,800
The ants go in search of
something else. A supplement.
307
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,640
Fresh meat.
308
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,800
The lush green hills
and mountains of the Jura
309
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,440
are now teeming
with all sorts of life,
310
00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,480
and nearly all of it
is potential food.
311
00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,560
The ants spread out from the nest,
312
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,720
scouring every square inch of ground
in search of prey.
313
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,600
As the hunters approach,
those that can, take flight.
314
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,720
The ants' vision is not very acute.
315
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,360
They can only see a target
if it moves.
316
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:54,120
A wolf spider, however,
can see the ants clearly.
317
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:59,120
But as long as she doesn't move,
they won't know that she's here.
318
00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,920
She's carrying a little sack
full of eggs.
319
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,080
She decides to run for it, and her
sudden movement alerts the hunters.
320
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,520
That first fleeting touch by an ant
left a faint scent mark,
321
00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:03,760
and now fellow hunters
can home in on their target.
322
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,920
The spider has a venomous bite,
but that is no use now.
323
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,840
Eight powerful legs
are her only hope,
324
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,720
but her speed is the very thing
that enables the ants to follow her.
325
00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,480
Slow motion reveals the basic
ant-hunting technique -
326
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:34,040
lunge with jaws open
and hope for the best.
327
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,000
At last, an ant manages to grab her.
328
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:59,000
Like a pride of lions taking down
a buffalo, the ants surround her.
329
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,040
Two restrain their catch,
330
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,240
while another delivers
the flesh-dissolving acid.
331
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,640
The wolf spider is just
one of many victims.
332
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:38,200
Alone, an ant can take
only the smallest prey.
333
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,480
But by working as a team,
334
00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,760
they can capture creatures
many times their size.
335
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:06,440
A super-colony can make hundreds
of millions of kills every year.
336
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,240
Beetles, caterpillars,
worms, flies -
337
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,760
they will tackle
almost any living thing.
338
00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,800
Whatever the prey, it's first cut up
and eaten by the workers,
339
00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,080
who then regurgitate it
to feed to the larvae.
340
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,000
Once they have grown to full size,
341
00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,520
the larvae spin silk cocoons
for themselves.
342
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:13,920
Inside each, a featureless larva
is changing into an adult.
343
00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:17,120
Their time in the sun
is approaching.
344
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:37,640
Wood ants live in one of the most
highly organised
345
00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:41,040
and complex of insect societies.
346
00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,480
They fight wars over territory,
347
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:47,400
they hunt in packs,
and farm other species.
348
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,280
They build complex homes
with central heating,
349
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:52,920
they produce their own medicine,
350
00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:58,560
and one group of them, we now know,
has made another advance.
351
00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:03,480
The super-colony has extended this
collaboration beyond the frontiers
352
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:08,560
of the family to form a
super-society of such dimensions
353
00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:12,480
that we can perhaps begin
to compare it with that other
354
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:17,280
great social creature
on this planet - ourselves.
355
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:22,160
People studying the origins of human
culture suggest that shared myths
356
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:26,640
were one of the factors that bound
early human societies together.
357
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,440
But what about ants?
358
00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,440
Well, in many species
it is certainly the case
359
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,840
that all the individuals are very
closely related to one another.
360
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,240
But that is not so
in the super-colony,
361
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:45,280
and in some days in June,
362
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,600
such colonies continue
to break the rules.
363
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,680
As midsummer approaches,
364
00:35:56,680 --> 00:36:01,320
the Jura briefly becomes
a paradise of wild flowers.
365
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:10,800
And something new appears
inside each of the nests - wings.
366
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:19,160
The royal generation,
male and female,
367
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,840
has finally hatched
and both will be able to fly.
368
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:30,000
Winged individuals are the only ones
that are capable of breeding.
369
00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:34,160
The males are little more than
animated insemination devices,
370
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,320
and they will soon achieve
their purpose and die.
371
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:41,160
But the females,
which are emerging just now,
372
00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:45,760
this is the beginning
of a long life of servitude.
373
00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:56,600
When the weather is just right -
sunny and not too windy -
374
00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:01,000
the nests suddenly become covered
with winged ants.
375
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,120
There's an excitement in the air.
376
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,400
The males,
which have matte black bodies,
377
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,560
are incapable of feeding themselves.
378
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,840
So once they leave the nest
they only have a short time to live.
379
00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:26,840
There's no time to waste.
380
00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:33,480
The virgin queens, who are also
black but splendidly shiny,
381
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,520
have a rather clumsy beginning
to their lives.
382
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,720
They're heavy with fat reserves
and swollen ovaries.
383
00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:46,560
So getting airborne
is not easy for them.
384
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,640
This is the most important flight
of their lives -
385
00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,880
but it's also their first.
386
00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,200
Many test their wings
before takeoff.
387
00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:06,040
They may need several attempts
388
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,560
before they achieve
complete flight control.
389
00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:27,480
Over a few days, half a million
winged ants of both sexes
390
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:31,440
take to the air and head off
for new territory.
391
00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:52,920
They then all assemble here,
in the heart of the super-colony.
392
00:38:55,360 --> 00:39:01,720
It's not clear how they find
this meadow but, year after year,
393
00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:06,120
virgin males and females
from across the super-colony
394
00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:09,840
are drawn here
for their nuptial flight.
395
00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:27,240
The queens congregate in small
patches of taller plants
396
00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:30,360
and begin to release
sex pheromones -
397
00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,200
airborne chemicals
that attract males.
398
00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:49,040
Detecting this scent on the wind,
the males home in on the females.
399
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:05,720
The virgin queens may only get
the chance to mate once,
400
00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:09,800
and they need to obtain
enough sperm to fertilise the eggs
401
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:13,000
they will be producing
for years to come.
402
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,080
But with plenty of males
in the meadow,
403
00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:20,160
they can afford to be choosy.
404
00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:25,120
The males are so driven,
405
00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:28,640
they even try to mate with females
who are already doing so.
406
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,000
Those males fortunate enough
to couple quickly
407
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,680
make the most of their
few remaining hours of life.
408
00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:03,080
Once they've mated,
their service to the colony is over,
409
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,200
and they die of exhaustion.
410
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:20,320
The queens now have
no further use for their wings,
411
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:21,920
and they try to get rid of them.
412
00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:29,120
But they are, necessarily,
rather firmly fixed.
413
00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,040
Trying to remove a backpack
with your feet,
414
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:44,360
even if you have six of them,
is clearly a frustrating process.
415
00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:13,040
Eventually, the meadow is marked
416
00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:16,520
with little drifts of
discarded wings.
417
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:25,080
Such breeding swarms are fairly
typical of ants generally,
418
00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,280
but now the queens of the
super-colony
419
00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,960
do something much less common.
420
00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:38,840
To understand why
they behave so differently,
421
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,680
we must first return
to the spring battlefields
422
00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:46,000
of the ordinary wood ants outside
the empire of the super-colony.
423
00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:56,440
The warring colonies
on this side of the mountain
424
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,000
have now accepted their frontiers,
425
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,640
and summer brings
a brief pause in their battles.
426
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:08,120
The mating system they use
may seem at first sight
427
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:12,160
to be the same as that of
the super-colony but, in fact,
428
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:14,400
it's fundamentally different.
429
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:20,080
Every decision taken by a mated
female is fraught with danger.
430
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:31,600
The colony this queen comes from
is at war with all its neighbours,
431
00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:35,200
so if she meets any of them,
they will try to kill her.
432
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,800
She needs a home,
but she can't build it without help.
433
00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:47,040
Her solution to the problem
is extraordinary and radical.
434
00:43:55,440 --> 00:44:00,360
Under this rock,
a different species, field ants,
435
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:01,720
have built a nest.
436
00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:08,800
These small ants, less than
a third of her size, are common,
437
00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,480
and live in meadows
on the edge of the forest.
438
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:17,360
The only way this wood ant queen
can get her own nest
439
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,400
is by taking over one of theirs.
440
00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:27,480
She will become a parasitic queen.
441
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:32,440
She lurks near the nest,
442
00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:35,800
trying to pick up
the scent of the field ants.
443
00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:41,760
She avoids groups of them,
because they could overpower her.
444
00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:45,800
Instead, she tackles individuals.
445
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,440
There's a brief duel,
and then she retreats.
446
00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,560
But each time, she's left with
a trace of their scent,
447
00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:58,560
so that she slowly begins to
build up a chemical disguise.
448
00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:05,640
These contests
go on for several days.
449
00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:12,600
Gradually, her disguise becomes
more and more convincing.
450
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:24,840
The entrance to the field ants' nest
is unguarded.
451
00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:28,640
Cautiously, she enters.
452
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,200
Inside, she is vastly outnumbered.
453
00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,080
Wood ant behaviour
inside a field ant nest
454
00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:46,560
has never been observed in detail
before, let alone filmed,
455
00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:50,600
so what happens next must be
interpreted with caution.
456
00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:03,720
There are fights,
and most wood ant queens
457
00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:06,400
are in fact killed at this stage.
458
00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:14,560
But after she has endured
repeated attacks,
459
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,960
some of the field ants become
less aggressive towards her.
460
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,120
Eventually,
a confused field ant worker
461
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:29,040
feeds the wood ant queen,
and when it does that,
462
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,760
the fate of the nest is sealed.
463
00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:38,320
The wood ant queen has now
acquired the colony's scent.
464
00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:40,840
She oozes queenly pheromones,
465
00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:45,440
and the field ants seem entranced
by their new foreign queen.
466
00:46:48,320 --> 00:46:52,200
The gamble has paid off, and
she has a fully functioning nest,
467
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:55,800
ready to receive
her first batch of eggs.
468
00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:04,760
Taking over a nest of field ants
469
00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:08,320
is the way typical wood ants
start a new family.
470
00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:12,840
But how about the queens
from a super-colony,
471
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,840
with their multi-family,
communal nests?
472
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:18,080
Have they found
a more peaceful strategy?
473
00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:24,800
Each mated female has to set out
on her own journey.
474
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,080
If she's to become a true queen,
475
00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:30,320
she has to find a nest
that will accept her,
476
00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:35,040
and that is where the tolerance
of the members of the super-colony
477
00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:36,640
is tested once again.
478
00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:42,240
Being already in the
heart of a super-colony,
479
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:45,560
these newly mated queens
don't have to walk far
480
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:47,800
before encountering their own kind.
481
00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:54,600
But even for a super-colony queen,
482
00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:57,600
walking straight up
to a busy trail is risky.
483
00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:01,200
If the workers she meets
are not in a welcoming mood,
484
00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,040
they will tear her to pieces.
485
00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:32,040
Slowly, one by one,
workers come to investigate her.
486
00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:41,760
Some seem uncertain
whether to attack or not,
487
00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,280
but others lick and clean her.
488
00:48:54,960 --> 00:49:00,240
After a few tense moments, a worker
starts to drag her towards the nest.
489
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:06,280
This is a sign that
she will be adopted.
490
00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:15,880
And now scientists have made
a further discovery.
491
00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:20,640
Many nests in the super-colony
shortcut the whole process.
492
00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:27,720
The winged males and the queen ants
don't even bother to leave the nest.
493
00:49:27,720 --> 00:49:30,040
Many different families live here,
494
00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:34,200
so there's no need to fly away
to avoid inbreeding.
495
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:41,760
The winged queens can simply mate
496
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:44,120
with one of the males
that hatched here.
497
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:49,680
Perhaps this unusual
behaviour is the next stage
498
00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:52,320
in the evolution of the
super-colony.
499
00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,480
With these innovative
mating systems,
500
00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:06,400
the super-colony queens
don't take the same risks
501
00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:08,680
as normal wood ant queens.
502
00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:11,960
They don't need to infiltrate
the nest of field ants
503
00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:13,560
to start a family.
504
00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:18,760
The workers just build
new nests where needed,
505
00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:22,800
enabling the super-colony
to extend deep into the forest
506
00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:25,080
where there are no field ants.
507
00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:29,880
It's changes in behaviour like this
508
00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:33,760
that most likely gave rise to
the super-colony in the first place,
509
00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:37,400
and colonised this new habitat
with all its riches.
510
00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,880
It's possible that this kind
of co-operation
511
00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:50,600
between different nests is
becoming more common among ants.
512
00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:53,640
New super-colonies are
still being discovered
513
00:50:53,640 --> 00:50:56,920
in different species
across the world.
514
00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:59,760
Are we perhaps witnessing
the next stage of
515
00:50:59,760 --> 00:51:02,240
the social conquest of the Earth?
516
00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:08,920
The super-colony consists of
literally thousands of
517
00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:13,760
different families,
all working in co-operation.
518
00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:18,040
It's a development that mankind
achieved a very long time ago,
519
00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:20,880
and could be seen as
one of the reasons why
520
00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:25,160
we have come to dominate
so many parts of the planet.
521
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:28,480
Could it be that peace
is the winning strategy
522
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:30,960
on this ant mountain too?
523
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:59,080
Much about the super-colony
remains unknown,
524
00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:00,680
and for good reason.
525
00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:06,000
These ants move incredibly quickly.
526
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:10,880
So you can see why
they're so difficult to study,
527
00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:13,240
and even more difficult to film.
528
00:52:15,240 --> 00:52:17,760
At around 8mm in length,
529
00:52:17,760 --> 00:52:20,640
these are bigger than
many ants but, to us,
530
00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:24,640
they're still tiny, and rarely
stay still for more than an instant.
531
00:52:26,120 --> 00:52:28,640
To keep track of their
frantic movements while also
532
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:30,800
getting down to eye level
with their world
533
00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:32,800
needed a very special camera...
534
00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:40,040
..the brainchild of filmmaker
Martin Dohrn.
535
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:42,160
This is Frankencam.
536
00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:44,880
It's a device for positioning
tiny cameras and
537
00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:47,680
small wide-angle lenses
into awkward corners
538
00:52:47,680 --> 00:52:50,680
with extreme precision.
539
00:52:53,080 --> 00:52:55,360
It's called Frankencam because
540
00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:58,720
it's got so many
different bits in it.
541
00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:02,040
It has been said that it is
an unholy alliance
542
00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:06,480
between other bits of equipment that
should never have been put together.
543
00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:08,960
Now known by all of us as Frank...
544
00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:10,560
OK, bring Frank to me.
545
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:12,840
..it enables us
to follow tiny creatures
546
00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:16,000
as they go about their lives
without disturbing them.
547
00:53:18,680 --> 00:53:22,160
I first met Frank back in 2005
548
00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:25,920
when filming for the BBC series
Life In The Undergrowth.
549
00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:29,840
Back then, he wasn't quite
as sophisticated as he is now,
550
00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:32,480
but he still allowed us
to see ants in a new way.
551
00:53:34,440 --> 00:53:38,360
12 years on, the equipment
has grown into this,
552
00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:42,720
and this enables us
to enter the world of the ants
553
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:46,440
in a way that has
never been achieved before.
554
00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:50,200
Martin, there's a lot of things
going on over here.
555
00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:54,240
And long cabling allows operators
to take the control box
556
00:53:54,240 --> 00:53:57,920
away from the camera so that biting
insects are less of a problem.
557
00:53:57,920 --> 00:53:59,760
What's going on?
558
00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:02,360
But of course, it doesn't stop
the ants coming to us.
559
00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:07,480
SHE LAUGHS
I'm covered in ants!
560
00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:10,480
I'm finding it
a little hard to concentrate.
561
00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:14,760
And with Frank's fluid movements,
562
00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,440
keeping the action in focus
is far simpler than it would be
563
00:54:18,440 --> 00:54:21,360
using a conventional
close-up camera.
564
00:54:21,360 --> 00:54:25,240
It's incredibly easy to fine-focus,
to go right in for the close-up
565
00:54:25,240 --> 00:54:27,400
so we can pull out
for the wide shots,
566
00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:30,320
and we can see the detail,
we can see the distance,
567
00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,040
we can put the whole scene
in this meadow
568
00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:34,960
so we can see it's this meadow,
569
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:37,560
and it makes it easier
to feel as if you're there.
570
00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:40,160
And now, for the first time,
571
00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:43,200
the ants are in focus
no matter where they're moving,
572
00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:45,080
and even I am too!
573
00:54:47,080 --> 00:54:51,120
However, while Frank's body parts
cost many thousands,
574
00:54:51,120 --> 00:54:54,360
and its construction needed
the help of a mathematician
575
00:54:54,360 --> 00:54:56,840
and an engineer, ironically,
576
00:54:56,840 --> 00:55:00,440
the lens used for
many of the most spectacular images
577
00:55:00,440 --> 00:55:03,720
cost just £8 on the internet.
578
00:55:03,720 --> 00:55:06,880
This wasn't a cost-cutting measure.
579
00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:10,440
This lens has an amazing abilities,
and it's perfect for the job,
580
00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:13,240
but it's only so cheap
because lenses like it are made
581
00:55:13,240 --> 00:55:17,920
in their many millions for
the cameras on your mobile phone.
582
00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:25,640
One of the clever ways Frank's
lenses takes us into the ants' world
583
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:28,600
is by changing the way
we see distances.
584
00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:32,560
To an ant, five feet might as well
be half a mile.
585
00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:41,280
VOICEOVER: This behind-the-scenes
image, recorded on a normal camera,
586
00:55:41,280 --> 00:55:44,560
shows just how close
I'm sitting to the nest.
587
00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:48,000
But if we view the same scene
using Frankencam,
588
00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:50,440
it appears as though
I'm much farther away.
589
00:55:50,440 --> 00:55:52,880
..which are emerging just now.
590
00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:56,960
It's this magnifying of distances
that allows the operator to steer
591
00:55:56,960 --> 00:56:00,200
so precisely between
every blade of grass
592
00:56:00,200 --> 00:56:04,320
and enables us to appreciate
the world on ant scale.
593
00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:09,960
But even with Frank,
there's one factor
594
00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:13,200
which affected every aspect
of the ants' behaviour
595
00:56:13,200 --> 00:56:14,800
that we couldn't control.
596
00:56:17,160 --> 00:56:20,720
The weather up here is
extraordinarily unpredictable.
597
00:56:20,720 --> 00:56:22,960
You never know
what's going to happen.
598
00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:27,240
This morning, there was
lovely sunshine. Look at it now!
599
00:56:27,240 --> 00:56:30,240
Difficult to believe,
but yesterday,
600
00:56:30,240 --> 00:56:33,480
these meadows were under
three inches of snow.
601
00:56:33,480 --> 00:56:36,960
So you have to be
prepared for anything,
602
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:40,560
whether you're an ant
or, indeed, a naturalist!
603
00:56:42,840 --> 00:56:45,520
The ants have worked out
how to survive here.
604
00:56:45,520 --> 00:56:47,520
We're novices.
605
00:56:47,520 --> 00:56:49,680
It was meant to be spring now,
606
00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:53,200
and this was meant to be
the shoot we did six weeks ago.
607
00:56:55,080 --> 00:56:56,640
With the weather so variable,
608
00:56:56,640 --> 00:56:59,800
predicting the ants' behaviours
was difficult.
609
00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:04,280
We've just arrived and found
the nest covered in winged ants,
610
00:57:04,280 --> 00:57:06,800
which we weren't expecting at all.
611
00:57:06,800 --> 00:57:10,360
We were kind of expecting them
to come out in about
612
00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:11,680
a week or two weeks' time.
613
00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:13,920
Even the scientists
are pretty surprised.
614
00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:18,600
Matters aren't helped by Frank being
just as fickle as the weather is.
615
00:57:18,600 --> 00:57:22,240
Unfortunately, Frank is
temperamental, and sometimes,
616
00:57:22,240 --> 00:57:25,280
he's brilliant, and then as soon as
you admit that he's brilliant,
617
00:57:25,280 --> 00:57:26,880
he decides to stop working,
618
00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:28,960
which is exactly
what happened this morning.
619
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:32,400
The focus box has received a knock,
or it's been, you know...
620
00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:35,000
..it's decided to stop working,
anyway.
621
00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:36,880
Kit failure is always a concern,
622
00:57:36,880 --> 00:57:39,720
but when there's only one
of your camera in the world,
623
00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:42,160
you just need to find
a way to carry on,
624
00:57:42,160 --> 00:57:45,000
and doing so enabled us
to record behaviour
625
00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:48,240
scientists can't normally observe
in such detail.
626
00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:52,640
Like the intricacies of
antenna movements
627
00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:54,320
when ants interact.
628
00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:00,840
Or following a parasitic queen
through the undergrowth
629
00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:03,800
as she slowly builds
her chemical disguise.
630
00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:09,360
To obtain new observations
leading to a new understanding
631
00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:13,440
of the ants, the team filmed for
over 100 days,
632
00:58:13,440 --> 00:58:15,240
spread over a year.
633
00:58:15,240 --> 00:58:17,280
And the ants love it!
634
00:58:17,280 --> 00:58:20,360
Thank you. I'm happy. Great.
Lovely. Thank you, guys.
635
00:58:20,360 --> 00:58:23,080
With the help of Frankencam,
636
00:58:23,080 --> 00:58:26,480
they took us into
the world of the super-colony
637
00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:28,480
and, remarkably,
638
00:58:28,480 --> 00:58:32,520
using a tiny lens just like
the one on the phone in your pocket.
54167
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