There are species of communist spiders that live together in a giant communal webs. They all contribute what they can and live peacefully. They’re also way more successful than regular spiders.

By building a communal web, it is thought that the spiders approximately maximize total biomass capture per spider. Having a larger web and multiple spiders to work together to subdue prey allows them to prey on larger organisms than would be possible if they led a solitary existence. The colonies can grow large enough to take down birds and bats, as well as very large insects.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_spider

Over decades of observation and research, scientists have discovered that social spiders, just like humans, have distinct and varying personalities. The very fact that social spiders have evolved in that way helps to explain how their communal living system works so well. Each personality is best suited to particular roles within the immense webs they share. For example, a spider with a more aggressive personality would naturally be drawn to a web job that deals with predators and other threats to the web. Or, they may be put in charge of handling prey caught in the web. More docile, laid back social spiders are usually drawn to jobs such as caring for and feeding young spiders in the web, helping to maintain the web structure, or web communications.

From an evolutionary standpoint, it pays to party with your friends. At least it does in the spider world. Research suggests spiders that socialize and build working relationships produce more and healthier progeny. When everyone is pulling together for the common good, the tribe thrives. This approach involves shared labor, and shared down time. The division of labor is crucial to a web’s success, with the more “warrior” personalities handling defense and maintenance of the web, and the “passive” types who serve as caregivers. Studies demonstrate that 60% of spider colonies that do not socialize among one another and cooperate together wind up dying out.

https://www.ranker.com/list/what-are-social-spiders/cheryl-adams-richkoff

The Appalacian mountains are older than the evolution of bones.

Crows and other intelligent birds can use tools and mourn the dead. I remember a video where crows used a crosswalk to open nuts, eating them when the cars stopped.

Crows will also remember a face and tend to show gratitude to you by leaving you shiny things if you feed them or help them.

They’ll also hold a grudge, avoiding or attacking you if you fuck with them. Somehow they can pass on the word to other crows too.

In Europe (and probably elsewhere), Storks build their nests on top of church steeples and other tall towers. These nests are communal; they leave for the winter and the males return early to pick a nest for their mate, usually the same nest or one close by. These nests are ‘passed down’ through stork generations, and apparently some nests are reused for hundreds of years.

Mycorrhizal fungi, species that bond with tree roots, create a sort of intranet for forests. With individual trees they mediate the exchange of soil nutrients for photosynthesis products. The extra range of mycelium growth extends the root network. Between trees they allow for chemical communication of threats. Whenever I’m hiking in a forest and I smell mycelium it feels so much more alive and dynamic.