Acacia Tree and Ant Symbiosis
by Owen Borville
July 5, 2020
Biology
The acacia tree has a unique symbiosis with a variety of aggressive, stinging ants. There are actually over 100 different observed plant to ant symbiosis relationships. The acacia tree (or bull-horn acacia tree) is found in Central America. The acacia tree provides food and shelter for the ants while the ants provide protection for the tree from herbivore plant-eaters. The trees produce nectar that the ants eat and have swollen hollow thorns that can be used for nest living sites.
In return, these aggressive ants, which are equipped with powerful stingers, attack caterpillars, deer and any other animals that try to eat the acacia leaves. The ants also protect the tree from fungal pathogens and competing plants, they kill bacteria, and leaf-eating insects. Therefore the acacia tree gets protection from plant-eaters while the ants get food and a place to live.
It is difficult to explain how this relationship could have formed by evolution. How did this relationship originate?
The acacia tree cannot survive without the ants. Experiments were done where the ants were removed from an acacia tree. The tree died within several months. Other animals ate the leaves and other competing plants took resources away. As a result of this experiment, we see the symbiosis relationship and we see that this relationship could not have evolved. The acacia trees would have died without the ants and would not have survived on Earth.
How did the ants learn to take care of the acacia trees? The ants would have to learn how to protect the acacia tree in order for the tree to survive and the symbiosis to form. By the time the ants learned how to take care and protect the tree, it would have perished before then.
The queen ants are attracted to the tree by its odor and the queens lay their eggs inside the hollow acacia thorns. How long would it take for the ants to find and identify the tree before they could begin to inhabit the tree and before the plant-eaters destroy the tree?
How long would it take before the acacia tree evolved the nectar that attracts the ants? This nectar is needed to attract the ants to the acacia tree so the ants will not go somewhere else.
The acacia tree also produces what is called Beltian bodies on the tips of its leaflets that don't seem to have a purpose other than for the ants to feed their larvae this nutritious fruit. The Beltian bodies (protein-lipid nodules) have no purpose except for feeding the ant larvae. How long would it take for this to evolve and how would it evolve by random chance? It seems like the acacia tree and the ants were made for each other. An Intelligent Designer created this symbiosis relationship.
Livestock can smell a chemical released by the ants and therefore avoid the acacia tree, according to researchers.
The ants help the acacia tree by stinging any plant-eating predator that comes along on the tree. The ants will also chew through any vine or competing plant that blocks sunlight or competes with the tree for valuable resources. How did these relationships originate and how long would it take? If these relationships took long periods of time, the tree could not survive and the ants would not have a good source of food and shelter.
Researchers have also found that the ants keep harmful pathogens away from the acacia tree such as harmful bacteria. This is also a relationship that would be difficult to describe with evolution regarding its origin.
Therefore the acacia tree and ant symbiosis relationship is unique and could not have evolved over long periods of time. This relationship could only have been the result of an Intelligent Design and a Powerful Creator.
by Owen Borville
July 5, 2020
Biology
The acacia tree has a unique symbiosis with a variety of aggressive, stinging ants. There are actually over 100 different observed plant to ant symbiosis relationships. The acacia tree (or bull-horn acacia tree) is found in Central America. The acacia tree provides food and shelter for the ants while the ants provide protection for the tree from herbivore plant-eaters. The trees produce nectar that the ants eat and have swollen hollow thorns that can be used for nest living sites.
In return, these aggressive ants, which are equipped with powerful stingers, attack caterpillars, deer and any other animals that try to eat the acacia leaves. The ants also protect the tree from fungal pathogens and competing plants, they kill bacteria, and leaf-eating insects. Therefore the acacia tree gets protection from plant-eaters while the ants get food and a place to live.
It is difficult to explain how this relationship could have formed by evolution. How did this relationship originate?
The acacia tree cannot survive without the ants. Experiments were done where the ants were removed from an acacia tree. The tree died within several months. Other animals ate the leaves and other competing plants took resources away. As a result of this experiment, we see the symbiosis relationship and we see that this relationship could not have evolved. The acacia trees would have died without the ants and would not have survived on Earth.
How did the ants learn to take care of the acacia trees? The ants would have to learn how to protect the acacia tree in order for the tree to survive and the symbiosis to form. By the time the ants learned how to take care and protect the tree, it would have perished before then.
The queen ants are attracted to the tree by its odor and the queens lay their eggs inside the hollow acacia thorns. How long would it take for the ants to find and identify the tree before they could begin to inhabit the tree and before the plant-eaters destroy the tree?
How long would it take before the acacia tree evolved the nectar that attracts the ants? This nectar is needed to attract the ants to the acacia tree so the ants will not go somewhere else.
The acacia tree also produces what is called Beltian bodies on the tips of its leaflets that don't seem to have a purpose other than for the ants to feed their larvae this nutritious fruit. The Beltian bodies (protein-lipid nodules) have no purpose except for feeding the ant larvae. How long would it take for this to evolve and how would it evolve by random chance? It seems like the acacia tree and the ants were made for each other. An Intelligent Designer created this symbiosis relationship.
Livestock can smell a chemical released by the ants and therefore avoid the acacia tree, according to researchers.
The ants help the acacia tree by stinging any plant-eating predator that comes along on the tree. The ants will also chew through any vine or competing plant that blocks sunlight or competes with the tree for valuable resources. How did these relationships originate and how long would it take? If these relationships took long periods of time, the tree could not survive and the ants would not have a good source of food and shelter.
Researchers have also found that the ants keep harmful pathogens away from the acacia tree such as harmful bacteria. This is also a relationship that would be difficult to describe with evolution regarding its origin.
Therefore the acacia tree and ant symbiosis relationship is unique and could not have evolved over long periods of time. This relationship could only have been the result of an Intelligent Design and a Powerful Creator.
