Dueling Ants Vying to Become Replacement Queen (IMAGE)

New York University

Dueling Ants Vying to Become Replacement Queen

Caption

In Indian jumping ants (Harpegnathos saltator), workers duel with their antennae to establish new leadership after the death of their queen. While these sparring matches stretch for more than a month, changes in behavior and gene expression in the first three days of dueling can accurately predict who will triumph, according to an NYU study published in Genes & Development.

Credit

Giacomo Mancini, NYU

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Credit to Giacomo Mancini, NYU

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