A molecular phylogeny of Dorylus army ants provides evidence for multiple evolutionary transitions in foraging niche.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Army ants are the prime arthropod predators in tropical forests, with huge colonies and an evolutionary derived nomadic life style. Five of the six recognized subgenera of Old World Dorylus army ants forage in the soil, whereas some species of the sixth subgenus (Anomma) forage in the leaf-litter and some as conspicuous swarm raiders on the forest floor and in the lower vegetation (the infamous driver ants). Here we use a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences to reconstruct the phylogeny of the Dorylus s.l. army ants and to infer the evolutionary transitions in foraging niche and associated morphological adaptations.

Results

Underground foraging is basal and gave rise to leaf-litter foraging. Leaf-litter foraging in turn gave rise to two derived c

SUBMITTER: Kronauer DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1852301 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature