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The biological significance of Magnetic Termite mounds

The “Magnetic Termite” Amitermes meridionalis occurs only in a small part of the Northern Territory of Australia and builds famous wedge-shaped mounds with an elongated axis that is orientated in a striking north-south direction. This shape is unique among all other termite mounds which are always more or less spherical and many hypotheses have been advanced to explain the remarkable shape and orientation. Most of these investigations focus on the orientation, but the biological significance of the shape is rarely explored. The currently accepted hypothesis considers shape and orientation as adaptation to maintain a thermo stable eastern face. In contrast to this we consider habitat conditions, such as heavy rainfalls and regularly flooding in the wet season, as most important for the evolution of this shape. iussi.confex.com/iussi/2006/techprogram/P1435.HTM


Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Arthropoda Class:Insecta Subclass:Pterygota Infraclass:Neoptera Superorder:Dictyoptera Order:Isoptera Family: Termitidae


Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

i09_0501 042
Date
Source Magnetic Termite mound - Litchfield National Park
Author brewbooks from near Seattle, USA
Camera location13° 06′ 10.99″ S, 130° 50′ 38.68″ E Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMapinfo

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This image, originally posted to Flickr, was reviewed on 15 June 2012 by the administrator or reviewer Matanya, who confirmed that it was available on Flickr under the stated license on that date.

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30 April 2009

13°6'10.991"S, 130°50'38.681"E

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current07:48, 15 June 2012Thumbnail for version as of 07:48, 15 June 20122,448 × 3,264 (6.2 MB)Matanya== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |Description=The biological significance of Magnetic Termite mounds The “Magnetic Termite” Amitermes meridionalis occurs only in a small part of the Northern Territory of Australia and builds famous wedge-shape...

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