Uncovering the Bizarre Genetics of Crazy Ants.
Yellow crazy ants are the first known animal for which chimaerism is an essential aspect of life, according to a study published in Science. Males of the species are a mixture of two warring cell lineages, which is usually a developmental accident. The chimaerism has a crucial role in the ants’ caste system, contributing to the species' ability to evade ecosystems. The discovery raises questions about why the nuclei of some sperm fail to fuse with the egg nucleus, resulting in chimaeric males.