By asahifile 
Ants Learned to Farm Fungi During a Mass Extinction
Introduction
Agriculture, a practice we often attribute solely to humans, has its origins far earlier in the animal kingdom. Recent research has shed light on the fascinating agricultural practices of ants, illustrating how these industrious insects began farming fungi following a significant mass extinction event.
Background
While we tend to think of agriculture as a human innovation, various ant species have collaborated with fungi for millions of years. Notably, leafcutter ants showcase an advanced form of farming; they cultivate fungi by cutting plants and transporting them back to their colonies. These fungi are essential as they provide the ants with a consistent food source.
Research Overview
An extensive international research team has conducted a study tracing the evolutionary relationships between numerous species of ants and the fungi they farm. By analyzing DNA from 475 species of fungi and 276 species of ants, the researchers have established a clearer picture of how agricultural practices evolved among ants. The findings suggest that this form of cooperation became prevalent after the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, paving the way for fungi to flourish in a world with limited plant life.
Methodology
The researchers employed a comprehensive analysis of over 2,000 genes from the selected ant and fungus species. This exhaustive approach is crucial as it mitigates biases that might arise from rapidly evolving genes related to the agricultural lifestyle of ants. The study categorized the ants based on their farming techniques—some farm yeast, others cultivate coral fungi, while the most sophisticated among them, the leafcutter ants, grow specific fungal species.
Evolutionary Insights
The research reveals significant insights into the lineage of agricultural ants. The last common ancestor of these ants likely existed during the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. With the extinction leading to an abundance of dead material, fungi thrived, allowing ants to adapt to utilizing this available resource.
However, organized farming practices did not emerge until around 35 million years later, coinciding with climatic changes that decreased wild fungi availability in the Americas. This scarcity may have led to the evolution of the ability to propagate certain fungal species independently among ants.
Fungi’s Perspective
From the fungi’s perspective, the study found that species evolved into distinct clusters based on their relationships with ants. Yeast and coral fungi showed similarities in their ancestry, while specialized fungi adapted to farming practices also showcased close relation to these yeast strains.
Conclusions
This research not only enhances our understanding of the origins of ant agriculture but also raises pertinent questions about the genetic basis behind the behavioral changes observed in these species. The collected DNA will serve as a resource for future investigations aimed at further unraveling the complexities of these relationships and the evolution of mutualism between ants and fungi.
The study opens the door to understanding how ecological pressures can shape cooperative behaviors in different species—a lesson that could provide broader insights into evolutionary biology.
Sources
For further details, refer to the published article in Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7179.