Ants Create Devil's Gardens in the Rainforest, And This Is Impressive

0:00This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace. And there it was. The bike you've been searching for. You sent a message, and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew. Well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer find more on Facebook. Collast it up with Crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast. So why wait to find your new faith footwear? Step into a local Crocs store and step into your new look. Try it. Style it. Make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up. It shows off. First day fits. Handled. Walk out ready for whatever's next. Visit your nearest Crocs store today. So does the mysterious Devils Gardens in the Amazon rainforest ring any bells?

1:05And don't worry, it's not some spooky phenomenon. It's the work of some tiny but mighty insects called the Lemon Ants. These ants inject a natural herbicide, formic acid, into any other plant that is not the tree species that they call homes. By doing this, they create a space for their tree house saplings to grow, allowing the ant colony to expand as it occupies new nesting sites in the saplings. That's some efficient gardening if you ask me. But don't be fool. These Devils Gardens are not just a bunch of boring old trees. In fact, they are botanical anomalies that grow very slowly every year and some of them are over 800 years old. Who knew ants could create such impressive and long-lasting structures? Of course, the rainforest is still one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth with a remarkable diversity of plant life. But it's fascinating to see the control ants can have over their environment,

2:05creating single species structures in such a complex ecosystem. But where does the name Devils Garden come from? We know ants are to blame, but is there something else hiding in the Amazon rainforest? Well, picture this. You're strolling along, taking in the lush foliage. When suddenly, you stumble upon a clearing. But wait, there's something strange about this patch of land. There's no vegetation, just a handful of trees standing alone in the dirt. What's going on here? It's easy to understand why people came up with this name after seeing the weird stretch of vegetation. And as humans do, they came up with quite an impressive legend to back up the story. It was said that the inhabitant of this area was an evil spirit, like me. Heh, just kidding. This little guy may have looked like a misshapen person walking on one hoof and one human foot. But don't be fool. He supposedly had a whole bag of tricks up his sleeve,

3:06including the ability to transform into someone you know and lead you down the path to doom. Hey, it's just a myth, but you have to admit it was quite convincing, right? Clever landscaping ants aside, there are a lot of unsolved mysteries hidden in the Amazon rainforest, like its unusual geoglyphs, for example. Humans have been getting creative with the earth. Clash it up with crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast. So why wait to find your new faith footwear? Get into a local croc store and step into your new look. Try it. Style it. Make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up. It shows off. First day fits, handled. Walk out ready for whatever's next. Visit your nearest croc store today. Surface for ages. Geoglyphs are just one of the many ways we've left our mark on this planet. Basically, we take some sand or stones, move them around a bit and voila!

4:09We've gone ourselves a funky design that pops against the backdrop of the ground. A new study found that the area was home to up to one million people before Columbus first arrived in the New World back in 1492. That's a lot of people, and they left behind some pretty cool stuff. The Amazon rainforest is already amazing, with one in ten known species in the world living there, and one in five of Earth's birds. But did you know that over the past few decades, archaeologists have discovered evidence of numerous large complex societies that may have inhabited Amazonia? It turns out that the Amazon rainforest was not just a pristine wilderness, but a hub of human activity as well. The South American geoglyphs are particularly interesting. They're these huge structures that combine square, circular, and hexagonal shapes. Archaeologists have found very few remains of habitation inside the occlusions, which suggests they were not settlements.

5:11Instead, the most likely explanation is that they were used for ceremonial gatherings. The exact function of these structures is still a mystery though. To find out how widespread human settlements were in the Amazon, scientists focus on the basin of the upper reaches of the topuse river, a major tributary of the Amazon. Using satellite images, they discovered 81 new archaeological sites in the upper tapios basin, with a total of 104 earthworks. That means there is no gap in the network of earthworks spanning across Amazonia's southern realm. When researchers conducted ground surveys of 24 of these sites, they found evidence that the sites they visited were once inhabited. These sites dated from 1250 to 1500 CE and range from about 100 to 1300 feet wide. The largest were typically hexagonal fortified settlements, suggesting a certain degree of planning and uniformity in their construction.

6:12Based on the size and distributions of the earthworks, the researchers suggested that similar settlements may have extended over about 154,000 square miles of the southern rim of the Amazon, supporting a population of between 500,000 and 1 million people in late pre-Columbian times. Of course, the new study doesn't mean the Amazon rainforest was ever a teaming megalopolis. It's still mostly uncharted, so we have no idea how pre-Columbian populations were distributed across Amazonia. But it's exciting to learn about these ancient societies and the cool things they left behind. The scientists plan to do more excavations in the Upper Tapio's base. This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace. And there it was. The bike you've been searching for. You sent a message and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew, well a community cycling group.

7:16The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer find more on Facebook. To refine their understanding of the cultural developments there, who knows what they'll find next, maybe a lost city full of treasure and adventure. Also hidden in the vast habitat of the Amazon is this next quirky creature. Ever heard of the Amazon pink river dolphins? Unfortunately there is still so much we don't know about them. For thanks first though, let's talk about what they look like. So picture this. A small light colored dolphin with a pink nose and lips. Ah, they're the Barbie of dolphins. Aside from that, they look like regular dolphins with plump bodies, bulbous foreheads, skinny snouts, chubby cheeks, and small eyes. They can be found in countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. There also the only species of river dolphins found in the Amazon river.

8:17Unfortunately, these little guys are officially critically endangered species, so there are not many specimens available that scientists can study. No other name is more famous when it comes to exploring the Amazon rainforest than that of Percy Fawcett. He dedicated his life to exploring the area in search of a lost city, and not just any city, but an ancient mysterious city that he called Z. Sounds like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, right? Percy was born in England in 1867 and had quite a career before he started exploring. But he didn't let his profession hold him back from following his dreams of exploring South America. In fact, he made seven expeditions to the Amazon between 1906 and 1924, each time getting closer to uncovering the secrets of Z. Now, let me tell you a little bit about how large the Amazon rainforest is. How big is it, I ask myself?

9:17It's so big that you could fit the whole of the UK and Ireland into it a whopping 17 times. That's a lot of trees and animals to navigate through, but Percy was up for the challenge. Despite his best efforts, Percy never found the lost city of Z, and sadly, he disappeared during his final expedition in 1925. But his legacy lived on through the years, inspiring many to become archaeologists and explorers themselves. In fact, a book called The Lost City of Z was written about Percy's adventures and was even made into a movie. It's not all hidden mysteries and wild nature out there. There are around a million indigenous folks living their best lives in the Amazon rainforest. That's right, they hunt, fish, farm, and even have access to Western medicine and education. But here's the kicker. Not all of these folks are keen on socializing with outsiders.

10:17And can you blame them? For years, loggers, minors, and ranchers have been, shall we say, behaving badly toward these communities. It's no wonder that some tribes have chosen to stay isolated and protect themselves from the dangers of the outside world. In fact, in 2018, Brazilian authorities were able to snap a photo of a man dubbed the Indigenous Man in the Hole. He's the last remaining member of his tribe. But don't feel too bad for him. He's doing just fine on his own and has made it pretty clear that he's not interested in outside visitors. The authorities still leave him some seeds and tools though, so it's not all bad news. That's it for today. So hey, if you've pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends. Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side. On any journey using Uber, it helps to know you're getting into the right car. Pin verification adds an extra step to make sure your ride is your ride.

11:18Before the trip begins, your app gives you a unique pin. Just tell it to your driver and they'll enter it in their app before the ride can start. Hey, what's your pin? 2538 That way you know you're in the right car taking the right trip and your driver knows you're the right passenger. Make sure your ride is your ride, with pin verification from Uber. One more way Uber is putting safety at every turn. Learn more on the Uber app. I didn't like what you said. Odin pauses about the future. This is the love story of Real Hinge Couple Odin and Edward. Written and read by me, Curtis Garner. Listen to the free audiobook now.