After the age of the dinosaurs came to an end some 65 million years ago, a ‘tribe’ of ants known to scientists as the Attini decided to give up life as hunter-gatherers and become farmers instead, according to a new genetic study.
It was an astonishing move that humans only managed to accomplish some 10,000 years ago.
The ants, native to South America, began farming fungus that grew on decomposing wood, setting off an evolutionary revolution.
About 25 million year ago, one group of fungus farmers began growing a particular fungi that produced protein-rich bulbs that proved a highly nutrious food.
This allowed ant colonies to increase in size until 15 million years ago when the leafcutter ant emerged. They feed a fully domesticated species of fungus kept in vast underground farms with fresh green leaves every day, supporting colonies number millions of individual insects.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...style-scientists-genes-genetics-a7146186.html
It was an astonishing move that humans only managed to accomplish some 10,000 years ago.
The ants, native to South America, began farming fungus that grew on decomposing wood, setting off an evolutionary revolution.
About 25 million year ago, one group of fungus farmers began growing a particular fungi that produced protein-rich bulbs that proved a highly nutrious food.
This allowed ant colonies to increase in size until 15 million years ago when the leafcutter ant emerged. They feed a fully domesticated species of fungus kept in vast underground farms with fresh green leaves every day, supporting colonies number millions of individual insects.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...style-scientists-genes-genetics-a7146186.html