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ysabetwordsmithAn 8-year-old boy's backyard discovery literally changed science forever
One summer day, 8-year-old Hugo Deans spotted a cluster of tiny, BB-sized spheres near an ant nest under a fallen log in his backyard. He assumed they were some kind of seed, because that’s what they look like.
But his father, Andrew Deans – a Penn State entomology professor – recognized them instantly as oak galls, unusual plant growths caused by insects.
What he didn’t realize at first was that those little galls were clues to a surprisingly complex relationship between ants, wasps, and oak trees.
One summer day, 8-year-old Hugo Deans spotted a cluster of tiny, BB-sized spheres near an ant nest under a fallen log in his backyard. He assumed they were some kind of seed, because that’s what they look like.
But his father, Andrew Deans – a Penn State entomology professor – recognized them instantly as oak galls, unusual plant growths caused by insects.
What he didn’t realize at first was that those little galls were clues to a surprisingly complex relationship between ants, wasps, and oak trees.
