Leafcutter Ant Genome Reveals Secrets of Fungus Farming Ways

[Tank]

Leafcutter Ant Genome Reveals Secrets of Fungus Farming Ways

ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2011) â€" Leafcutter ants, signature denizens of New World tropical forests, are unique in their ability to harvest fresh leaves to cultivate a nutrient-rich fungus as food.

nterplay of ants, fungi and a suite of bacteria -- is coming into sharper focus as a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has published the complete genome of the leafcutter ant, Atta cephalotes.

The study, published Feb. 10, 2011 in the journal PLoS Genetics by an international team led by UW-Madison bacteriology professors Cameron Currie and Garret Suen, illustrates how lifestyle can remake an animal's genetic blueprint over the course of evolutionary history.

A fascinating example of a totally inter-reliant symbiotic system.

[SSY]

Always been fascinated by those, the incredibly organised society made up of barely conscious beings I think really shows how emergent properties of systems can be so extraordinary when compared to the simplicity of their elements. To see even more layers is another refresher on the wonders of nature.