African ‘fairy Circles’ That Once Baffled Scientists Point to Mysterious ‘swarm Intelligence’ in Plants
Mysterious "fairy circles" in Africa that have long baffled scientists aren't the work of angry gods after all, but something even stranger.
The Debrief 3:20 am on April 11, 2024
A new study challenges the long-held termite hypothesis for the origins of African fairy circles. Researchers Stephan Getzin and Hezi Yizhaq found that termites do not kill the roots of grasses inside the circles, but rather, it's a result of competition for limited water resources. The larger grasses outside the circle absorb water quickly after rainfall, leaving new seedlings without sufficient moisture to germinate and grow. This self-organization phenomenon is described as swarm intelligence.
- Researchers challenge termite hypothesis for African fairy circles
- New study finds grass competition for water resources creates fairy circles
- Larger grasses outside the circle absorb water quickly, leaving none for new seedlings
- Self-organization phenomenon called swarm intelligence
- Study highlights importance of rigorous hypothesis testing and multi-year field data
https://thedebrief.org/african-fairy-circles-that-once-baffled-scientists-point-to-mysterious-swarm-intelligence-in-plants/