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Sosiak C, Cockx P, Suarez PA, McKellar R, Barden P. Prolonged faunal turnover in earliest ants revealed by North American Cretaceous amber. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1755-1761.e6. [PMID: 38521061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
All ∼14,000 extant ant species descended from the same common ancestor, which lived ∼140-120 million years ago (Ma).1,2 While modern ants began to diversify in the Cretaceous, recent fossil evidence has demonstrated that older lineages concomitantly occupied the same ancient ecosystems.3 These early-diverging ant lineages, or stem ants, left no modern descendants; however, they dominated the fossil record throughout the Cretaceous until their ultimate extinction sometime around the K-Pg boundary. Even as stem ant lineages appear to be diverse and abundant throughout the Cretaceous, the extent of their longevity in the fossil record and circumstances contributing to their extinction remain unknown.3 Here we report the youngest stem ants, preserved in ∼77 Ma Cretaceous amber from North Carolina, which illustrate unexpected morphological stability and lineage persistence in this enigmatic group, rivaling the longevity of contemporary ants. Through phylogenetic reconstruction and morphometric analyses, we find evidence that total taxic turnover in ants was not accompanied by a fundamental morphological shift, in contrast to other analogous stem extinctions such as theropod dinosaurs. While stem taxa showed broad morphological variation, high-density ant morphospace remained relatively constant through the last 100 million years, detailing a parallel, but temporally staggered, evolutionary history of modern and stem ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Sosiak
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
| | - Pierre Cockx
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | | | - Ryan McKellar
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK S4P 4W7, Canada.
| | - Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA.
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2
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Boudinot BE. Ant evolution: Amber revelations of extinction, survival and recovery. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R318-R320. [PMID: 38653199 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Ant fossils from the Cretaceous are rare but critical for understanding the early evolution of this incredibly successful group of animals. New amber fossils fill important gaps, revealing patterns of death, survival, and radiation around the end Cretaceous extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon E Boudinot
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 6035 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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3
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Jouault C, Condamine FL, Legendre F, Perrichot V. The Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution buffered ants against extinction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317795121. [PMID: 38466878 PMCID: PMC10990090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317795121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With ~14,000 extant species, ants are ubiquitous and of tremendous ecological importance. They have undergone remarkable diversification throughout their evolutionary history. However, the drivers of their diversity dynamics are not well quantified or understood. Previous phylogenetic analyses have suggested patterns of diversity dynamics associated with the Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution (ATR), but these studies have overlooked valuable information from the fossil record. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using a large dataset that includes both the ant fossil record (~24,000 individual occurrences) and neontological data (~14,000 occurrences), and tested four hypotheses proposed for ant diversification: co-diversification, competitive extinction, hyper-specialization, and buffered extinction. Taking into account biases in the fossil record, we found three distinct diversification periods (the latest Cretaceous, Eocene, and Oligo-Miocene) and one extinction period (Late Cretaceous). The competitive extinction hypothesis between stem and crown ants is not supported. Instead, we found support for the co-diversification, buffered extinction, and hyper-specialization hypotheses. The environmental changes of the ATR, mediated by the angiosperm radiation, likely played a critical role in buffering ants against extinction and favoring their diversification by providing new ecological niches, such as forest litter and arboreal nesting sites, and additional resources. We also hypothesize that the decline and extinction of stem ants during the Late Cretaceous was due to their hyper-specialized morphology, which limited their ability to expand their dietary niche in changing environments. This study highlights the importance of a holistic approach when studying the interplay between past environments and the evolutionary trajectories of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Jouault
- Institut de Systématique Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, Paris75005, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier34095, France
- Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Rennes35000, France
| | - Fabien L. Condamine
- Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier34095, France
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, Paris75005, France
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Rennes35000, France
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4
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Chaul JCM. A revision of the Cretaceous ant genus Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, 2013 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Zigrasimeciinae). Zootaxa 2023; 5325:301-341. [PMID: 38220906 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5325.3.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The extinct Cretaceous ant genus Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, the iron maiden ants from Myanmar, is revised, and five new species are described: Z. boudinoti sp. nov., Z. caohuijiae sp. nov.,Z. chuyangsui sp. nov., Z. perrichoti sp. nov., and Z. thate sp. nov. Zigrasimecia hoelldobleri paratype (CNU-HYM-MA2019054) is removed from the type series. New diagnoses for all species are provided and species boundaries are discussed. Studied specimens that are not ideally preserved are presented and discussed, some of them are putative new species. Two identification keys for the genus are provided, a traditional, dichotomous key and an interactive, multi-entry key hosted online at the website www.Xper3.fr. I briefly discuss the unlikeliness of the genus Boltonimecia to belong to the subfamily Zigrasimeciinae, and also the taxonomic problem caused by the description of species based on alates and poorly preserved fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jlio Cezar Mrio Chaul
- Programa de Ps-Graduao em Ecologia; Departamento de Biologia Geral; Universidade Federal de Viosa; 36570-900; Viosa; Minas Gerais; Brazil.
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Zhuang Y, Xu W, Zhang G, Mai H, Li X, He H, Ran H, Liu Y. Unparalleled details of soft tissues in a Cretaceous ant. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:146. [PMID: 36526958 PMCID: PMC9756460 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For social insects such as ants, the internal organs are likely important in understanding their eusocial behavior and evolution. Such organs, however, are rarely preserved on fossils. In each of the few cases reporting exceptionally fossilized soft tissues in arthropods, the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems have been described individually, but never in combination. Here, we report a female specimen (gyne) of the extinct ant group-†Zigrasimecia-included in a Cretaceous amber piece from Kachin, Myanmar, with an almost complete system formed by various internal organs. These include the brain, the main exocrine system, part of the digestive tract, and several muscle clusters. This research expands our knowledge of internal anatomy in stem group ants. As the gyne bears a morphologically unique labrum, our specimen's internal and external features support the notion that the early ant may have special ecological habits during the Cretaceous period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhuang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEvolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XVillum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Huijuan Mai
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Hong He
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Hao Ran
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004 China ,Biological Education and Research Laboratory, Mancheng High School of Hebei Province, Baoding, 072150 China
| | - Yu Liu
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
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6
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Lieberman ZE, Billen J, Kamp T, Boudinot BE. The ant abdomen: the skeletomuscular and soft tissue anatomy of
Amblyopone australis
workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Morphol 2022; 283:693-770. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Ellis Lieberman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, U. S. A. 95616
| | - Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2466, B‐3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Thomas Kamp
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann‐von‐Helmholtz‐Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein‐Leopoldshafen Germany
- Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation (LAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12 Karlsruhe Germany
| | - Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich‐Schiller‐Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomologie Gruppe, Erbertstraße 1 07743 Jena Germany
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