Leaf Cutter Ants: How Small Insects Cut Through a Big World

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Date

2022

Authors

Cohen, Sam
Schofield, Robert

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Abstract

This comic explores the science behind how leaf cutter ants can cut through the same skin and leaves as much stronger animals, despite their relative lack of power. Leaf cutter ants and some other insects have extremely sharp mandibles that are resistant to wear because of their physical make up. This comic explains how scientists learned about leaf cutter ants' cutting abilities and how the ants' mandibles function over their lifetimes. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Sam Cohen and UO researcher Dr. Robert Schofield as part of the Science and Comics Initiative. You can read the comic online here: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/leaf-cutter-ants/

Description

11 page full-color PDF and accompanying transcript (Word) with full image description.

Keywords

Comics, Science communication, Comics and cartoon studies, Leaf cutter ants, Heavy element biomaterials, Science comics

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