A genetic mutation that helped the ant species survive (Image- Canva) The big dinosaurs ruled Earth for millions of years, only for the tiny ants to take over. Around 66 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs from the face of the Earth forever. But this mass extinction set the stage for other animals to evolve and spread. And ants were among the animals that used that opportunity to the fullest.Today, ants are one of the largest groups of social insects, with more than 15,000 species found around the world. There’s hardly any corner of the Earth where, if you drop a cube of sugar, ants will not attack it. Now, scientists have discovered a genetic factor called “jumping genes” that might be responsible for their rise.New research published in Science Advances suggests that their extraordinary evolutionary success was partly driven by mobile segments of DNA known as transposable elements. This international study, led by Dr. Lukas Schrader of the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity (IEB) at the University of Münster, Germany, points to a possible genetic link between the environmental upheaval following the asteroid impact and the subsequent expansion of major ant groups. How “Jumping Genes” Helped Ants Evolve Representational image Jumping genes, as the name suggests, are not genes jumping in your DNA; rather, they are transposable genetic elements. Jumping genes are pieces of DNA that can move to different locations within a genome and produce additional copies of themselves. Scientists once viewed them primarily as “genomic parasites” because, much like viruses, they can multiply without providing any clear benefit to their host. In some cases, their activity can even contribute to disease.Recently, scientists have found that these mobile genetic elements can also create opportunities for mutation and help in the diversification of ants. When scientists compared different groups of ants, they found that the groups with the highest numbers of jumping genes also tended to have more species today. The timing of the gene activity was particularly surprising. They observed that several major ant lineages experienced separate surges in jumping gene activity during the early Paleogene period, about 66 million years ago.As Lukas Schrader explained, “The asteroid impact had dramatic consequences for the environment. We have now found the genomic mechanism that connects these ecological upheavals to the subsequent rapid diversification of the ants: transposable elements.”The evolutionary pattern was not limited to ants; studies have also shown periods of increased jumping gene activity associated with the emergence of new species in other groups, including primates and bats. Boost to Ant Communication Chemicals help ants communicate through their complex social system These genetic elements have not only helped ants survive but may also have boosted their sense of smell, allowing them to communicate more efficiently through chemical signals.The olfactory receptors that enable ants to detect and respond to smells have been affected by these genetic elements. These receptors are essential to ants’ survival and social behaviour. Ants depend heavily on chemical signals to find their way through the environment, identify members of their own colonies, and coordinate activities with other ants.These findings suggest that jumping genes may have helped ants develop their sensory systems, allowing them to adapt to major environmental changes, including those following the extinction of the dinosaurs. More than survival, these changes may also have helped improve their social behaviour. Like bees, ants are highly social insects, and their sensory systems help them detect and interpret the chemical messages that make their complex societies possible. 100 Million Years of Ant Evolution As ants and dinosaurs coexisted, their evolutionary histories overlapped for millions of years. For the study, the international team compared the genomes of 163 ant species, representing 12 of the 16 ant subfamilies that survive today. Using these genetic comparisons, the researchers reconstructed changes in transposable element activity over approximately 100 million years.As reported by ScienceDaily, these results reveal a striking connection between ancient bursts of jumping gene activity and the later diversification of ants, suggesting that these genetic elements may have contributed to their evolutionary success.The dinosaurs may have lost the planet, but the tiny ants that survived the changing world may have gained a genetic advantage. Scientists now suggest that DNA sequences once dismissed as genomic parasites could have helped ants develop better smell-based communication and diversify into thousands of species. In a strange twist of evolution, the same genetic elements that copy and move themselves around DNA may have helped shape some of the most successful societies in the animal kingdom. Source link Post Views: 1 Post navigation Netanyahu’s unity government gambit: Can he lure Eisenkot from opposition?
