Ant genomics help reshape biological history of the Americas
Tuesday, October 25, 2016 - 13:01
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Scientists have long believed that the Isthmus of Panama emerged from the ocean three million years ago, triggering a massive interchange of species between the Americas in its wake. However, recent conflict in both geological and biological literature suggests that this simple story is insufficient to explain the available evidence. In a new study, published in the journal of Molecular Ecology, Field Museum scientists explored questions fundamental to this interchange using novel genomic methods in army ants, finding that land bridges likely connected the Americas millions of years earlier than previously thought.