Genes And Nutrition Influence Caste In Unusual Species Of Harvester Ant
Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 00:28
in Biology & Nature
Researchers trying to determine whether nature or nurture determines an ant's status in the colony have found a surprising answer. Both. Nature (that is, the ant’s genetic makeup) and nurture (what it eats, for example) play a role in determining the fate of the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius, a resilient creature found in many parts of the southeastern United States.