Scientists took X-rays and created three-dimensional models of the insects' thorax - the central
“Worker ants evolved from flying insects,explains Professor Evan Economo, head of OIST's Biodiversity Unit. “We always assumed that it was the loss of the ability to fly that helped them optimize their work on the ground.”
In general, the ability to fly imposes seriousbody type restrictions. In flying insects, wing muscles occupy most of the chest - sometimes more than 50%. This means that other muscles that are used to support and move the head, legs and abdomen are constrained and pressed against the exoskeleton.
But once these restrictions are removed, the entire space in the chest becomes open, which the researchers suggest allows the remaining muscles to expand and reorganize.
Previous research in this area has beenfocused on the external structure of ants. However, with the technology available at OIST, scientists were able to get a detailed picture of what was happening inside the chest. The researchers conducted a detailed analysis of two distantly related ant species, including wingless worker ants and flying queen ants.
Scientists have used advanced X-raytechnologies for scanning internal and external anatomy. Such as, for example, the computed tomography used in a hospital, but with a much higher resolution. Based on these scans, the experts mapped all the different muscles and modeled them in 3D. The result is a detailed view of the inside of the chest. They then compared the research results of the two species with a number of other ants and wingless insects.
As expected, the researchers foundthat the loss of the ability to fly allowed the worker ants to successfully rearrange the rib cage. “Inside the worker ant's ribcage, everything is beautifully integrated into a tiny space,” explained Dr. Christian Peters, lead author of this article, who was a research professor at the Sorbonne University. “All three muscle groups have increased in volume, giving the working ants more strength and power. The geometry of the neck muscles that support and move the head has also changed. Internal muscle attachment was also different. "
Interestingly, while studying wingless wasps, scientistsfound that these insects reacted in a completely different way to the loss of the ability to fly. Representatives of this species live alone and consume food when they find it. On the other hand, ants are part of the colony. They hunt or collect food, which must then be carried to the nest for the queen and younger relatives. The selection pressure to promote portability was logical.
For centuries, ants have been studied from a point of viewin terms of their behavior, ecology and genetics, but, as the researchers emphasized, the reason for their strength has so far been ignored. The next step is to develop more detailed biomechanical models of the functioning of various muscle groups. In addition, scientists will undertake similar studies of the lower jaw and legs.
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