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Research on soldier ants reveals that evolution can go in reverse

Started By OhNoNotAgain , Mar 9 2020 3:48 PM

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#1 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted March 9 2020 - 3:48 PM

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Research on soldier ants reveals that evolution can go in reverse

 

https://phys.org/new...on-reverse.html

 

"The shape and size of a turtle-ant soldier's head is dictated by the type of tunnel the species in question occupies. The ants don't dig the tunnels themselves, but move into those excavated by wood-boring beetles. And since a hand-me-down tunnel might be too big or too small, Kronauer says, the ants diversify rapidly to be able to occupy it."

 

"In some cases, more specialist species reversed direction over time, evolving back into more generalist head shapes."


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Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus (inactive), vicinus, laevigatus/quercicola

Liometopum occidentale;  Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus (inactive)

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and californicus (inactive)

Tetramorium sp.

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

 

Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus

Spoods: Phidippus sp.

#2 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 9 2020 - 3:52 PM

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very interesting, especially in the fact we could create soldier head shapes in captivity


Edited by Da_NewAntOnTheBlock, March 9 2020 - 3:52 PM.

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#3 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 9 2020 - 3:57 PM

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Yeah, imagine the size of head it would take to block your average tube.......
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#4 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 9 2020 - 4:15 PM

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lets not think about how insane that would get...


There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#5 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 9 2020 - 4:29 PM

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Yeah, imagine the size of head it would take to block your average tube.......

I doubt they would get anywhere near that size.


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#6 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 9 2020 - 4:36 PM

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I do too which is why I said:

 

lets not think about how insane that would get...


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#7 Offline ponerinecat - Posted March 9 2020 - 5:41 PM

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Cephalotes have the ability to grow fibers from their head plates right? What if they just grew the fibers really long and pressed them together to make bigger head plates?


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#8 Offline Martialis - Posted March 9 2020 - 7:01 PM

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This is a more [epi]genetic thing. At least some of the genes for "generalist" heads are conserved in the daughter species, which allows them to evolve into a more generalist variety. However, you'll never get that original gene pool back (Which seems to be insinuated lightly by the article). It isn't really "reverse evolution." 

 

As for the tubes, keep in mind that this is a bigger picture and multi-generational thing—evolution doesn't happen overnight. With the lack of selecting factors and reproductive activity in captivity, I doubt that the ants would ever change to adapt to our setups. 


Edited by Martialis, March 9 2020 - 7:06 PM.

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