Charlie: Humans began farming about 12,000 years ago, but some ants started farming more than 50 million years earlier! I’ve come to a rainforest in Brazil, South America, to find ants that farm fungi.
Here’s a line of ants. They’re all holding little umbrellas overhead – well, it is a rainforest. Hey, guys, are you expecting a storm?
Ant: These aren’t umbrellas – they’re leaves! We’re carrying them home.
Charlie: Taking them back to eat, eh?
Ant: No, we’re taking them back… to poo on!
Charlie: Woah! Do you ants use leaves like loo paper, then?
Ant: Of course not, we’re fungi farmers.
Charlie: Then you’re leafcutter ants! Exactly who I’m looking for. What kind of fungi crops do you grow?
Ant: Not a type you’d know. They don’t grow…