Sex is an activity that will no longer be keeping one species of ant busy, with the insects all becoming female.
The Amazonian ants reproduce via cloning – queen ants copy themselves to produce genetically identical daughters. This species – the first ever to be shown to reproduce entirely without sex – cultivates a garden of fungus, which also reproduces asexually.
Asexual reproduction of males from unfertilised eggs is a normal part of some insect reproduction but asexual reproduction of females is rare in ants. When the ants were dissected, they found them to be incapable of mating, because an essential part of their reproductive system was missing.
These findings might be used to disprove the scientific theory of asexuality being an evolutionary disadvantage because it removes mutations and produces genetic diversity more slowly than sexual reproduction.
Scientists do not know why this particular species has become fully asexual or how long ago the phenomenon evolved.
The Amazonian ants reproduce via cloning – queen ants copy themselves to produce genetically identical daughters. This species – the first ever to be shown to reproduce entirely without sex – cultivates a garden of fungus, which also reproduces asexually.
Asexual reproduction of males from unfertilised eggs is a normal part of some insect reproduction but asexual reproduction of females is rare in ants. When the ants were dissected, they found them to be incapable of mating, because an essential part of their reproductive system was missing.
These findings might be used to disprove the scientific theory of asexuality being an evolutionary disadvantage because it removes mutations and produces genetic diversity more slowly than sexual reproduction.
Scientists do not know why this particular species has become fully asexual or how long ago the phenomenon evolved.
Fathia Tayib
Student Number: 41755684
References:
Macrae, F 2009. 'Amazonian ants make males redundant'. Daily Mail. 16th April 2009. Viewed 20th April 2009.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1170225/Amazonian-ants-make-males-redundant-worlds-female-species.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1170225/Amazonian-ants-make-males-redundant-worlds-female-species.html
Gill, V 2009. 'Ants inhabit a world without sex'. BBC News. 15th April 2009. Viewed 20th April 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7998931.stm
Jamieson, A 2009. 'Females get along without males'. Telegraph. 16th April 2009. Viewed 20th April 2009.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5163589/Females-get-along-fine-without-males---in-the-world-of-tropical-ants.html
