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Scientists have identified a genetic mechanism that may have helped ants diversify and become one of the most successful groups of insects following the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.
A study published in Science Advances suggests that mobile DNA segments known as transposable elements, or “jumping genes”, may have contributed to the evolutionary expansion of ants by promoting genetic changes and the development of chemical communication systems.
The international research team was led by Dr Lukas Schrader of the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity at the University of Münster in Germany.
Ants today comprise more than 15,000 known species distributed across the world. The researchers found that ant lineages with greater numbers of jumping genes also tended to have higher species diversity.
They further identified bursts of jumping gene activity in several major ant lineages during the early Paleogene period, beginning around 66 million years ago. These genetic changes occurred shortly before the lineages underwent substantial diversification, suggesting a possible link between the two processes.
“The asteroid impact had dramatic consequences for the environment. We have now found the genomic mechanism that connects these ecological upheavals to the subsequent rapid diversification of the ants: transposable elements,” Schrader said.
Jumping genes are DNA sequences capable of moving to different positions within a genome or producing additional copies of themselves. Once regarded largely as genomic parasites because they can multiply without providing an obvious benefit to their hosts, these elements are increasingly recognised as potential drivers of evolutionary change.
Their movement and duplication can alter gene activity and create genetic variation, sometimes providing organisms with opportunities to adapt to changing environments.
The researchers also found an association between jumping genes and the expansion of gene families involved in ants’ chemical communication.
Among these are genes encoding odorant receptors, which allow ants to detect and respond to chemical signals. These sensory systems are essential for locating food, navigating their surroundings, recognising colony members and coordinating activities within complex social groups.
The expansion of these gene families may have helped ants develop more sophisticated chemical communication abilities, potentially contributing to their ecological success.
To investigate the relationship between jumping genes and ant evolution, the team compared the genomes of 163 ant species representing 12 of the 16 subfamilies that survive today. The analysis allowed the scientists to reconstruct changes in transposable elements over approximately 100 million years.
The findings point to a connection between ancient genetic activity and the later diversification of ants, although the observed associations do not establish that jumping genes alone caused the increase in species diversity.
Similar patterns of jumping gene activity have also been reported in other animal groups, including primates and bats, suggesting that mobile DNA may have played a broader role in evolutionary history.
The study adds to evidence that genetic changes can interact with major environmental upheavals to shape the evolution of life. Following the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, many surviving groups diversified into ecological opportunities left open by the global catastrophe, and ants may have benefited from both environmental changes and genetic innovations.