Wednesday 13 January 2010

Lesbian separatist ants

Mad Science reports that there is a female-only species of ant.
Technically these ants reproduce asexually, not through some kind of Nicola Griffith-style lesbian parthenogenesis. They are, however, one of the only known all-female animal species. Who is to say whether it wasn't some lesbian urge that caused them to diverge from other ant species and give up sperm altogether?
I am reminded of the ant society in T H White's The Once and Future King.
Males = Not-Done.
There were no words for happiness, for freedom, for liking, nor were there any words for their opposites — there were only two words for qualifications, Done and Not-Done — which applied to all questions of value... Their life was not questionable, it was dictated...

4 comments:

  1. Me, T.H. White and lesbian ants in one blog post. You've made my day :)

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  2. You were in the quote :) But I am glad you enjoyed it. So are you famous for lesbian parthenogenesis?

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  3. Yewtree -- read Ammonite and find out. ;D

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