The Genetics Behind Ant Queens and Colony Caste Formation
Scientists at Rockefeller University discovered that in ant colonies, body size plays a crucial role in determining caste, with larger ants tending to develop queen-like traits, influenced by both size and genetics. Using clonal raider ants, which reproduce asexually, they found that environmental factors affect size but genes set the rules for when size triggers queen development, revealing a complex interplay between genetics and environment in social insect caste determination.
