Hi
,
Sahara ants are uniquely designed to be able to withstand the harsh heat of the desert, but only for ten minutes at the most. They have long legs to keep their bodies away from the hot sand, and they have a built-in pedometer to gauge their
distance out and back to the nest. They also operate by taking specific note of the position and angle of the sun for direction. Scouts alert the foragers when predators, like lizards, take shelter in the heat, and then the ants come out in great numbers for their mad dash for food.
Besides these amazing designs, there are other unique aspects that help the ant to survive. The Saharan silver ant produces heat shock proteins before they even leave the nest. In other animals, these proteins are produced in
response to heat and helps them survive as their body temperatures rise. But, in the ant, these proteins are produced even before the ant leaves the nest. In essence, it's in anticipation of the heat, rather than a response to it. This is absolutely necessary since without the presence of the protein as it leaves the nest to help its cells function, it will not survive long enough to do anything! If the protein developed as a response to the heat, death would claim
the ant before the protein would have any effect! So, the question is - How did this just happen by chance? How does the ant know to produce the protein even before it needs it?!
Furthermore, this species of ant has a unique coating of hairs on the top and sides of its body. These hairs are shaped so that they not only reflect the rays of the sun away from the ant's body, but also serve to remove heat from
it!
Then finally, as the ant finds its way back to the nest using the sun and its own pedometer, it is guided safely home by a unique odor put out by the nest itself.
The evolution community would have us believe that these amazing qualities developed in response to the environment as it slowly evolved. But, like in all creatures, design is obviously present. If the creatures didn't already have the ability
to do the astonishing things they do, they wouldn't have survived at all, and there would be virtually nothing in nature to observe and enjoy. God gave us all of these astounding things to study to show His remarkable creativity!
