The asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago also triggered a genetic boom in ants, according to an international study published in Science Advances. Researchers at Germany’s University of Münster found that mobile DNA segments known as transposable elements helped drive the rapid diversification of ant species in the early Paleogene.
Jumping Genes Fuel Ant Diversification After Asteroid Impact
Scientists analyzed and compared the genomes of 163 ant species, representing 12 of the 16 existing subfamilies, to reconstruct evolutionary history over the past 100 million years. The data revealed that major ant lineages experienced separate bursts of transposable element activity just after the Chicxulub asteroid collision.
Dr. Lukas Schrader, lead author of the study from the University of Münster’s Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, noted the connection between environmental devastation and genetic shifts.
From Genomic Parasites to Evolutionary Drivers
Biologists previously categorized transposable elements as genomic parasites because they replicate within host genomes without offering clear evolutionary benefits.
According to findings covered by Science Daily and BGNES, the research team discovered a direct link between jumping genes and the expansion of gene families responsible for odorant and gustatory receptors. These chemical perception systems allow ants to communicate and move through their surroundings, forming the foundation of complex social behaviors across the more than 15,000 ant species alive today.
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While jumping genes were once thought to serve no purpose other than self-replication, previous research by Schrader anticipated their role in rapid adaptive changes across insects in the family Formicidae.
Unanswered Questions in Ant Evolution
Despite the clarity provided by genomic comparisons, researchers acknowledge certain limitations in tracing the exact timeline of ant history. Scientists cannot entirely rule out earlier bursts of jumping gene activity predating the 100-million-year framework used in the research.
Questions About Ant Evolution and Jumping Genes
What are transposable elements?
Transposable elements, often called jumping genes, are pieces of DNA that can move to different locations within an organism’s genome and produce additional copies of themselves.
How many ant species were included in the University of Münster study?
The international research team examined the genomes of 163 ant species, representing 12 of the 16 Formicidae subfamilies that survive today, according to Science Daily and BGNES.
When did the bursts of jumping gene activity occur?
The researchers observed distinct surges in transposable element activity during the early Paleogene, approximately 66 million years ago, immediately following the asteroid impact that ended the age of the dinosaurs.
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