CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Scientists in South Africa have been stunned to discover that termite mounds that are still inhabited in an arid region of the country are more than 30,000 years old, meaning they are the oldest known active termite hills.
Some of the mounds near the Buffels River in Namaqualand were estimated by radiocarbon dating to be 34,000 years old, according to the researchers from Stellenbosch University.
“We knew they were old, but not that old,” said Michele Francis, senior lecturer in the university's department of soil science who led the study. Her paper was published in May.
Francis said the mounds existed while saber-toothed cats and woolly mammoths roamed other parts of the Earth and large swathes of Europe and Asia were covered in ice. They predate some of the earliest cave paintings in Europe.
Some fossilized termite mounds have been discovered dating back millions of years. The oldest inhabited mounds before this study were found in Brazil and are around 4,000 years old. They are visible from space.
Francis said the Namaqualand mounds are a termite version of an “apartment complex” and the evidence shows they have been consistently inhabited by termite colonies.
Termite mounds are a famous feature of the Namaqualand landscape, but no one suspected their age until samples of them were taken to experts in Hungary for radiocarbon dating.
“People don’t know that these are special, ancient landscapes that are preserved there,” Francis said.
Some of the biggest mounds — known locally as “heuweltjies,” which means little hills in the Afrikaans language — measure around 100 feet (30 meters) across. The termite nests are as deep as 10 feet underground.
Researchers needed to carefully excavate parts of the mounds to take samples, and the termites went into “emergency mode” and started filling in the holes, Francis said.
The team fully reconstructed the mounds to keep the termites safe from predators like aardvarks.
Francis said the project was more than just a fascinating look at ancient structures. It also offered a peek into a prehistoric climate that showed Namaqualand was a much wetter place when the mounds were formed.
The southern harvester termites are experts at capturing and storing carbon by collecting twigs and other dead wood and putting it back deep into the soil. That has benefits in offsetting climate change by reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
It's also good for the soil. Masses of wildflowers bloom on top of the termite mounds in a region that receives little rain.
Francis called for more research on termite mounds given the lessons they offer on climate change, sustaining ecosystems and maybe even for improving agricultural practices.
"We will do well to study what the termites have done in the mounds. They were thought to be very boring," she said.
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
In this undated photo provided to the Associated Press by Stellenbosch University researcher, Michele Francis, right, and other researchers, pose for a selfie, next to an ancient termite mound in Namaqualand, South Africa. Scientists have been stunned to discover that termite mounds that are still inhabited in an arid region of the country are more than 30,000 years old, meaning they are the oldest known active termite hills. (Photo/Michele Francis via AP)
LONDON (AP) — No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek again faltered at Wimbledon, losing in the third round to Yulia Putintseva 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday.
Swiatek is a five-time Grand Slam champion, including four titles on the red clay at the French Open — most recently last month — and one on the hard courts at the U.S. Open. The All England Club's grass has always given her the most trouble at any major tournament as a pro, although the 23-year-old from Poland did win the junior trophy as a teenager.
Swiatek has only once been as far as the quarterfinals at Wimbledon; that was last year, when she lost at that stage.
She entered Saturday on a 21-match winning streak, all on clay, and decided to withdraw from the only grass-court tuneup that was originally on her schedule before Wimbledon.
This result also was unexpected because Swiatek not only had won all four previous meetings against the 35th-ranked Putintseva, but also had won every set they had played.
But Swiatek looked very little like someone who has led the WTA rankings for nearly every week since April 2022 and is assured of remaining there no matter what happens the rest of the way at Wimbledon.
She kept making mistakes, particularly over the last two sets, when Putintseva did not even try to put balls away and instead was happy to allow Swiatek to help her.
When Putintseva was building a 4-0 lead in the last set by grabbing 16 of its first 19 points, she only needed to produce two winners. That's because her other 14 points were all gained thanks to either unforced errors (seven) or forced errors (seven) off Swiatek’s racket.
After one miss into the net, Swiatek muttered to herself, and she generally looked as flustered as she ever does during a match.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand return to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a forehand return to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning a point against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Iga Swiatek of Poland serves to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts during her third round match against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning a point against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Roger Federer, right, sits with his parents , Robert and Lynette as they watch a third round match between Denis Shapovalov of Canada and Ben Shelton of the United States at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Ben Shelton of the United States plays a forehand return to Denis Shapovalov of Canada during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Pep Guardiola his wife Cristina and daughter Maria, left, react as Alexander Zverev of Germany speaks following his third round win over Cameron Norrie of Britain at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Cameron Norrie of Britain reacts after winning a point against Alexander Zverev of Germany during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates after defeating Cameron Norrie of Britain in their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A court steward stands under an umbrella on an outside court as rain delays the start of play at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
An outside court under a cover as rain delays street to play at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Outside courts are under covers as rain delays street to play at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A court steward stands under an umbrella on an outside court as rain delays the start of play at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Spectators wait as rain delays play ahead of third round matches at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
