Amputations of Man and Beast opus 384
| 5 July 2024 1400 Hours | | Entomology, Biology, Evolution, History, Mammalogy, Medical |
Perhaps as long as 30,000 years ago Homo sapiens
Were performing amputations--Homo neanderthalis
Probably had them beat by several thousand years!
But let's talk of amputations millions of years ago!
Carpenter ants, it has now been discovered,
Have continuously amputated injured legs
Of fellow warriors, when necessary.
They are also presumably able to produce
Antibiotic secretions for serious wounds
As well as for amputations when needed--
Lower leg wounds are left alone
Because if altered, death usually occurs,
While upper leg wounds are successfully
Amputated and treated.
Ants produce many antimicrobial compounds
And have evolved to possess many medical treatments.
This, of course, includes therapeutic amputation!
I believe this is monumental information
Which draws our thoughts towards various life forms,
Ever closer together, and gives us pause
As to just how we might evaluate 'other life'!