In dueling ants vying to become queen, behavioral and molecular cues quickly determine who will win
Published Date: 2/18/2021
Source: phys.org
In one species of ants, workers duel 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 a New York University study published in the journal Genes & Development.