We interrupt Army Ant Week to announce that a paper describing the Atta cephalotes leafcutter ant genome has just been published. I’ll report more on this research next week, once we take leave of the army ants.
source:
Suen G, Teiling C, Li L, Holt C, Abouheif E, et al. (2011) The Genome Sequence of the Leaf-Cutter Ant Atta cephalotes Reveals Insights into Its Obligate Symbiotic Lifestyle. PLoS Genet 7(2): e1002007. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002007
Yeah!
we live in interesting times…
this genetic unraveling is getting fascinating. faster please !
LOVE the accompnying picture!
I don’t often have the *perfect* photo to accompany a blog post. This one, though…
Atta boy!
Interesting how the army ants just skirt on by without bothering to try nabbing a few Atta workers. But if, say, there was an Atta mating flight and an Atta queen landed in an army ant trail, would she be tort to pieces?
When is leaf cutter ant week? Or Argentine ant week? or…