A latest study conducted by a researcher from North Carolina State University has suggested that there is a kind of ant species found on Manhattan streets that have developed a taste for human food.

The ants that live on the sidewalks and other paved areas within the city are likely to have the levels of carbon isotope similar to humans.

But at the same time the ants which live in parks have comparatively much decreased isotope levels. This has shown that ants, exposed to human food, adapt their chemistry to the environment.

The lead author of the study Dr. Clint Penick explained that the diet of ants that live in urban areas contains a high degree of human foods, may be because they eat our garbage. As a result of it, the pavement ants reach to such huge populations in urban areas.

During the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers collected more than 100 ant samples from street medians, sidewalks and parks, and collected 21 different species of ants. Then, they examined the isotopes levels in their bodies.

Carbon is present in food, and both humans and animals absorb it. Carbon-13 isotope, mostly associated with corn and sugar cane, are present in almost every food consumed by humans.

The study findings have revealed that the pavement ant had the highest level of Carbon-13, whereas the ants living in parks showed the lowest level of Carbon-13. Researchers detected this substance in all ant species that live close to humans.

With the help of this study, scientists can discover which species of ants can be helpful for people in cleaning up the trash on the streets.

There will be a research soon to find out whether ants would still prefer human food even if they had available their natural food source.