Digest: Evolve wisely-some ant defense strategies paved way to diversification, and others to a dead end

摘要

From trees in the Amazon to the scorching sands of the Sahara, over 12,000 ant species march in their traffic-jammed highways between home and their next meal. The global success of ants stems partially from being the first eusocial predatory insects to live primarily on the ground, distributing responsibilities among castes to keep their complex societies running (Wilson 1987). Additionally, the evolution of the metapleural gland, which secretes a fungicide and bactericide acid, likely facilitated their success in subterrestrial habitats (H?lldobler and Wilson 1990). Neither fully explains the incredible diversity of ants, however, but a new study offers an additional explanation: evolutionary tradeoffs of character traits.