Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Research on soldier ants reveals that evolution can go in reverse

Started By OhNoNotAgain , Mar 9 2020 3:48 PM

  • Please log in to reply
7 replies to this topic

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

OhNoNotAgain

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,072 posts
  • LocationCalifornia Argentine Ant Territory
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."


  • Martialis likes this

Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus, vicinus, quercicola

Liometopum occidentale;  Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and previously californicus

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

Da_NewAntOnTheBlock

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,540 posts
  • LocationIllinois

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


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

  • AntsDakota likes this

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

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

AntsDakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,994 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota
Yeah, imagine the size of head it would take to block your average tube.......
  • justanotheramy likes this

"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

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

Da_NewAntOnTheBlock

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,540 posts
  • LocationIllinois

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

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

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

I doubt they would get anywhere near that size.


My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

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

Da_NewAntOnTheBlock

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,540 posts
  • LocationIllinois

I do too which is why I said:

 

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


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

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

ponerinecat

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,650 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

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?


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

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

Martialis

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,516 posts
  • LocationMississippi

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.

  • Zeiss, TennesseeAnts, PacificNorthWestern and 1 other like this
Spoiler
Back to General · Next Unread Topic →


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users