Two ants that begin life with the same familial information can grow dramatically dissimilar soundbox size , or a life-time of 15 times their cohorts , depending on their home in ant fellowship . What does ant caste teach us about humans ?
A mathematical group of scientists focus on “ epigenetics ” – the subject of how surroundings shape the way factor carry – recently sequenced the genomes of two different ant species , carpenter ants and jumping emmet . They found that epigenetic factors make these ants to develop biologic caste systems , with some proletarian pismire growing much big than others and queens populate many times farsighted than worker . These epigenetic influences also affected ant behavior too , causing “ major workers ” among the carpenter ant to become warriors who guard the nest , while “ pocket-size workers ” go out foraging for nutrient . ( In the picture below , you may see the difference in size between major and minor workers – who are born with basically the same genomes . )
Among the jump ants , the investigator found something even more intriguing . When the faggot of the colony dies , workers vie to become the next faggot . The winning pismire ’s biological science changes dramatically , with a seniority - link enzyme called telomerase skyrocketing in her system , causing her to survive much longer than she would have as a actor .
Biochemist Danny Reinberg , who make on the study , say :
“ In studying the genomes of these two ants , we were trance by the unlike behaviors and different role that the doer ants develop . Since every pismire in the settlement get going with the same genetic data , the dissimilar neuronal connections that specify the behavior appropriate for each social rank , must be ascertain by epigenetic mechanisms . The finding could potentially help us watch more about the effect of epigenetics on brainiac role in human race . ”
The question is whether epigenetic component like these could change human lifespans or morphologies too . Could we bring on length of service the way these queen ant do ? Or could we do something to our bodies to turn some world into superpowered giants like the major workers of the carpenter ant metal money ?
viaLangone Medical Center – full scientific newspaper atScience
Photos by Jurgen Liebig
BiologyepigeneticsGeneticsGenomicsScience
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