It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Common consumer product chemicals now tied to cardiac electrical changes
UC analysis of Fernald data shows environmental phenols associated with heart toxicities
University of Cincinnati
Environmental phenols are found in a wide range of common consumer products. They include preservatives in packaged foods, parabens in shampoos and bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic dishware, so humans have broad exposure to them, day in and day out.
Some of these environmental phenols are known to have cardiac toxicities. Now, an interdisciplinary study involving four University of Cincinnati College of Medicine professors is revealing their adverse impact on the heart’s electrical properties, and the research has been published in the journal Environmental Health.
“This is the first study to look at the impact of phenol exposure on cardiac electrical activity in humans,” said Hong-Sheng Wang, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neurobiology and the study’s lead author.
Researchers used data from the Fernald Community Cohort, which includes nearly 10,000 people who lived near the former U.S. Department of Energy uranium processing site at Fernald, outside Cincinnati, and participated in the Fernald Medical Monitoring Program between 1990 and 2008.
Much of the cohort did not experience exposure to uranium beyond the radiation received by the general population. Wang and his team used their data, including biological samples and medical records, in the study so uranium exposure would not be a factor in the findings — making them relevant to the general population. Because urine samples and electrocardiograms, or EKGs, were collected on the same day, the results were significant for analyzing exposure to environmental phenols.
The EKGs, which measure cardiac electrical activities, were read by board-certified physicians, and the urine samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for exposure analysis.
One goal of the study was to identify any changes in EKG parameters associated with environmental phenol exposure.
The heart is driven by electrical activity, so anything affecting its electrical properties can have a detrimental impact and possibly result in arrhythmias.
The research concluded higher exposure to some environmental phenols is associated with altered cardiac electrical activity.
Researchers found higher exposure to BPA, BPF and BPA+F in women is associated with a longer PR interval, a delay in the time it takes for electrical signals to move from the atria at the top of the heart to the ventricles.
“Our findings were highly sex-specific,” said Wang. In women, researchers identified an association with longer QRS duration, or contraction of the ventricles, and dysfunction of the electrical impulses of the heart.
“It was particularly pronounced in women with higher body mass indexes,” said Wang.
In men, researchers found higher exposure to triclocarban (TCC), an antimicrobial agent, led to longer QT intervals in the heart — meaning the heart’s electrical system is taking too long to recharge, a situation that can contribute to heart rhythm dysfunction. TCC has since been banned in the United States.
Wang also pointed out that typical exposure levels alone are unlikely to cause clinically significant heart disease in healthy people.
“These were not dramatic changes that we observed, but moderate changes to cardiac electrical activity,” he said. “However, they were particularly pronounced in certain subpopulations.”
He said the altered cardiac activity could exacerbate existing heart disease or arrhythmias in a patient, especially older adults or those with other risk factors.
“Now there are new chemicals out there, so the next step would be to examine these newer environmental chemicals and to focus on their impact on an individual level in those who are predisposed to heart disease,” said Wang.
Other contributors in this study included Susan Pinney, PhD, FACE, professor of epidemiology in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences; Jack Rubinstein, MD, FACC, professor of clinical cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine; and Changchun Xie, PhD, professor in the Department of Biostatistics, Health Informatics and Data Sciences.
This study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health and the University of Cincinnati Center for Environmental Genetics.
Journal
Environmental Health
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Association of same-day urinary phenol levels and cardiac electrical alterations: analysis of the Fernald Community Cohort
The true global impact of species-loss caused by humans is far greater than expected – new study reveals
University of Birmingham
image:
The Kaua'i stilt owl painting shows the island of Kaua'i in Hawaii. All three depicted species have been driven extinct by humans (the Kaua'i stilt owl, wahi grosbeak, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō)
Credit: Palaeontological Artist & Avian Palaeontologist Julian P. Hume
The extinction of hundreds of bird species caused by humans over the last 130,000 years has has led to substantial reductions in avian functional diversity – a measure of the range of different roles and functions that birds undertake within the environment –
and resulted in the loss of approximately 3 billion years of unique evolutionary history, according to a new study published today in Science.
Whilst humans have been driving a global erosion of species richness for millennia, the consequences of past extinctions for other dimensions of biodiversity are poorly known. New research lead by the University of Birmingham highlights the severe consequences of the ongoing biodiversity crisis and the urgent need to identify the ecological functions being lost through extinction.
From the well-documented Dodo to the recent Kauaʻi ʻōʻō songbird declared extinct in 2023, scientists currently have evidence of at least 600 bird species having become extinct as a result of humans since the Late Pleistocene when modern humans started to spread throughout the world. Using the most comprehensive dataset to date of all known bird extinctions during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, the paper ‘The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions’ looks beyond the number of extinctions to the wider implications on the planet.
Lead author Dr Tom Matthews from the University of Birmingham explained: “The sheer number of bird species that have become extinct is of course a big part of the extinction crisis but what we also need to focus on is that every species has a job or function within the environment and therefore plays a really important role in its ecosystem. Some birds control pests by eating insects, scavenger birds recycle dead matter, others eat fruit and disperse the seeds enabling more plants and trees to grow, and some, like hummingbirds, are very important pollinators. When those species die out, the important role that they play (the functional diversity) dies with them.
“In addition to functional diversity each species also carries a certain amount of evolutionary history, therefore when that species becomes extinct, it’s basically like chopping off a branch of the tree of life and all of that associated phylogenetic diversity is also lost.”
The research found that the scale of anthropologenic bird extinctions to date has resulted in a loss of approximately 3 billion years of unique evolutionary history, and 7% of global avian functional diversity – a significantly larger amount than expected based on the number of extinctions. Given the wide range of important ecological roles performed by birds, the loss of avian functional diversity in particular will likely have had far-reaching implications. These post-extinction aftershocks include reduced flower pollination, reduced seed dispersal, the breakdown of top-down control of insect populations - including many pests and disease vectors - as well as increased disease outbreaks due to reduced consumption of carrion. In addition, the downsizing of the global avifauna documented in the research will likely affect the ability of many plant species to track present and future climate change.
Dr Matthews concludes: “These results are a timely reminder that the current extinction crisis is not just about species numbers. By identifying declines in avian functional and phylogenetic diversity driven by human actions, our findings highlight the urgent need to understand and predict the impacts of past anthropogenic extinctions on ecosystem function in order to prepare for the magnitude of expected future loss from the projected 1,000 bird species that are expected to die out completely over the next two centuries. This information is vital for setting effective targets for global conservation strategies, as well as ecosystem restoration and rewilding efforts.”
Journal
Science
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions
Article Publication Date
3-Oct-2024
Public attention can drive governments to take meaningful environmental actions
New research reveals how media coverage helped successfully mitigate forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon
University of California - San Diego
A new study from the University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals that public outcry can lead to significant environmental action, even when public administrations are openly hostile to environmental priorities.
The paper, to be published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, focused on the unprecedented public scrutiny of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon in August 2019, which occurred soon after Jair Bolsonaro, who campaigned on an explicitly anti-environmental platform, assumed office as Brazil’s 38th president.
The study found that increased public attention resulted in a 22% decrease in fires in the Brazilian Amazon, a reduction that translated into the avoidance of approximately 24.8 million tons of CO2 emissions.
International pressure can have tangible, real-world impacts on environmental policy
Using a difference-in-differences design, the researchers compared fire activity in Brazil with that in Peru and Bolivia, countries that were not receiving the same amount of scrutiny but that typically have the same level of fire activity per square kilometer. The researchers found that the 2019 surge in attention led the Brazilian government to deploy fire brigades, which significantly halted the fires. In addition, there was in increase in Brazilian congressional speeches addressing the fires and subsequent governmental measures were implemented—all as a result of the heightened public and media attention.
This reduction not only helped mitigate the immediate impact of the fires but also contributed to Brazil’s efforts to meet its Paris Agreement commitments.
“What this tells us is that this kind of international outcry and international pressure does, in fact, have the potential to have tangible, real-world impacts on environmental policy and environmental outcomes,” Garg said.
The paper also notes that while the immediate reduction in fires was significant, the effects of the media surge were short-lived, with attention and fire activity returning to previous levels the following year.
The authors conclude, “Our study is a powerful example of how media and public pressure can drive significant environmental action, even in the face of ongoing challenges. It also illustrates the importance of sustained public engagement to achieve long-term environmental goals.”
Coauthors include Rafael Araujo of São Paulo School of Economics and Francisco Costa of the University of Delaware.
“Our research underscores the significant role that public attention and media coverage can play in influencing local environmental policies and actions,” said study coauthor Teevrat Garg, who is an associate professor of economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. “The 2019 surge in attention led to immediate governmental responses, which contributed to the notable decrease in fires.”
The action from the Brazilian government was surprising as Bolsonaro had campaigned on cynicism over climate science and championing big business interests over sustainable development.
Forest fires in the Amazon, a critical global carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot, occur cyclically every year. Though technically illegal, the fires are often ignited to clear land for agriculture or spread as wildfires.
The spike in media attention that occurred in August 2019 was attributed to several factors, such as dramatic visual events like the “black sky” phenomenon in São Paulo and international criticism of Brazil’s environmental policies. The events created an ideal opportunity to assess the impact of public scrutiny on local environmental actions.
Journal
Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists
Three beer-related discoveries to celebrate Oktoberfest
American Chemical Society
Frothy or smooth, bitter or sweet, light or dark: There’s a beer for most palates. As people around the world pour over the best brews at Oktoberfest celebrations or ferment about their favorite fall-themed beers, three papers published in ACS journals crack open new insights into these beverages. And if you’re hop-ing to conduct studies to find which beer is good for what ales you, please drink responsibly. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org.
Coriander’s origin changes beer flavor. Just like simmering a stew, brewing a beer with herbs and spices can enhance its flavor. A study in ACS Food Science & Technology reports that coriander seeds harvested from different countries (Bulgaria, Canada, Morocco and India) impart varying amounts of sweet, herbal and/or cooling flavors in Belgian white beers. The research group found that adding three compounds specific to Bulgarian coriander seeds could also enhance flowery characteristics in a model beer they created.
Barley proteins impact hop bitterness.Researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry explored how malt from two different barley cultivars interacted with hop extracts during the wort-boiling stage of the brewing process. They found that wort prepared from the higher-protein barley malt had lower acid levels, which suggests the proteins trap and remove some of the bitter-tasting hop compounds that influence the beer’s final flavor. The researchers say these results could help brewers tailor the taste of their suds; for example, they could select low-protein barley for a hoppy beer.
Testing microbes for a probiotic beer. Functional beverages, such as prebiotic sodas, kombucha and fermented dairy drinks, are popular right now. To create a probiotic beer, researchers screened several different lactic acid-producing bacterial strains. Their comprehensive brewing experiments published in ACS Food Science & Technology demonstrated that five of the 21 strains tested could reach cellular counts associated with probiotic activity. But these counts were only reached in lightly hopped beers (below 2 international bitterness units (IBUs), a level that’s insufficient to give beer its signature bitterness). The next step for the researchers is testing the viability of the probiotic bacteria after carbonation, storage and consumption.
###
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs led to the invention of ‘ant agriculture’
When the dust that covered the skies 66 million years ago prevented plants from photosynthesizing and benefited creatures that fed on decomposing organic matter, these insects selected species that could fill their nutrient void, confirms a study.
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
image:
Colony of the species Atta colombica, unearthed in Gamboa, Panama. In the center of the photo, much larger than the workers, is the queen
The event that wiped out the dinosaurs wasn’t all bad. The low-light environment caused by the meteor impact some 66 million years ago favored the spread of fungi that feed on organic matter, which was abundant at the time as plants and animals were dying in droves.
It was the perfect opportunity for the ancestor of a group of ants to start cultivating these microorganisms, according to a study published on October 3 in the journal Science.
“The origin of fungus-farming ants was relatively well understood, but a more precise timeline for these microorganisms was lacking. The work provides the smallest margin of error to date for the emergence of these fungal strains, which were previously thought to be more recent,” explains André Rodrigues, professor at the Institute of Biosciences of São Paulo State University (IB-UNESP) in Rio Claro, Brazil, and one of the authors of the paper.
The researcher coordinates the project “Collaborative research: Dimensions US-São Paulo: integrating phylogeny, genetics, and chemical ecology to unravel the tangled bank of the multipartite fungus-farming ant symbiosis,” supported by FAPESP through its Research Program on Biodiversity Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use (BIOTA), in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), of the United States.
The dating was made possible by analyzing the so-called ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of the genomes of 475 fungal species cultivated by ants and collected from different parts of the Americas. UCEs are regions that remain in the genome throughout the evolution of a group, derived from its most ancient ancestors.
“In this case, we were interested in the regions close to these elements. They show the most recent differences between species and allow us to trace a fairly accurate evolutionary line,” adds Pepijn Wilhelmus Kooij, a researcher at IB-UNESP supported by FAPESP and also co-author of the work.
Using this method, it was possible to establish the near-simultaneous emergence of two distinct fungal lineages from the same ancestor of today’s leafcutter ants (a group known as Attini) 66 million years ago.
Specialists in the mutualism between fungi and ants have long argued that the beginning of this relationship defines the emergence of agriculture, tens of millions of years before humans began domesticating plants, just 12,000 years ago.
The study also revealed the emergence of an ancestor of coral fungi, a second group that began to be cultivated by ants 21 million years ago. The fungus gets its name from the fact that it forms structures that resemble miniature colonies of sea coral.
Mutualism
The results support the hypothesis that fungi had already undergone pre-adaptation before being cultivated by ants. It is likely, the authors point out, that the ancestor of the leafcutter ant group lived in close proximity to fungi, either inside the colonies or even collecting them from time to time to feed on them or their products.
“But the fungi were not an essential part of the ants’ diet. The pressure exerted by the meteor impact may have turned this relationship into an obligatory mutualism, in which these fungi come to depend on the ants for food and reproduction, while at the same time the ants depend exclusively on the fungi as a food source,” Rodrigues contextualizes.
Today, four different groups of ants cultivate four types of fungus. In some cases, the insects even alter the growth of the cultivated product so that it provides certain nutrients.
“When we cultivate them in the lab, the fungi take the expected form of hyphae. However, inside the colony, one of these hyphae types becomes swollen and forms structures similar to grape clusters, rich in sugars. We still don’t know how the ants do this,” says Kooij.
For Mauricio Bacci Junior, professor at IB-UNESP and co-author of the paper, the origin of the cultivation of fungi probably points to an adaptation in the face of a nutritional shortage faced by the ants at that time.
With the abundance of fungi spreading across what are now the Americas, and fewer options for food sources, those that already had some possible relationship with ants ended up proving more useful when cultivated.
“To feed itself, the fungus decomposes the organic matter carried by the ants. In turn, the ant consumes substances produced by the fungus that it couldn’t obtain from any other source. It’s as if the fungus were the insect’s external stomach,” compares the researcher, who is deputy director of the Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change (CBioClima), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) supported by FAPESP.
After this founding event, fungus-farming ants, which had previously lived in humid forests, experienced a second selective pressure with the expansion of the Cerrado savanna-like biome 27 million years ago. With more open and arid areas, there was a diversification of these agricultural insects, leading to the origin of today’s leafcutter ants (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/38315/).
This event also certainly favored the diversification of fungi, which became more efficient at producing food for the ants and decomposing organic matter.
So much so that the enzymes produced by fungi cultivated by ants are now being studied for their biotechnological potential to degrade not only organic matter but also other materials, including plastics.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
Lemon leafcutter Atta colombica workers carry leaves to the colony in Gamboa, Panama
Credit
Pepijn W. Kooij/IB-UNESP
Image magnified a thousand times shows nutritive vesicles (gongylids) produced by the fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, cultivated by the lemon leafcutter (Atta sexdens)
Asteroid impact may have turned ants into fungus farmers 66 million years ago
Article Publication Date
3-Oct-2024
Ant agriculture began 66 million years ago in the aftermath of the asteroid that doomed the dinosaurs
Smithsonian scientists assembled and analyzed sprawling genetic database, finding some fungal crops later became completely reliant on ants 27 million years ago
Smithsonian
image:
A lower-fungus-farming worker of the rare fungus-farming ant species Mycetophylax asper, collected in Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 2014, on its fungus garden.
Nearly 250 different species of ants in the Americas and Caribbean farm fungi. Researchers organize these ants into four agricultural systems based on their cultivation strategies.
In a paper published today, Oct. 3, in the journal Science, scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History analyzed genetic data from hundreds of species of fungi and ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees. According to the new study, colonies of ants began farming fungi when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. This impact caused a global mass extinction but also created ideal conditions for fungi to thrive. Innovative ants began cultivating the fungi, creating an evolutionary partnership that became even more tightly intertwined 27 million years ago and continues to this day.
When humans began farming crops thousands of years ago, agriculture had already been around for millions of years. In fact, several animal lineages have been growing their own food since long before humans evolved as a species.
According to a new study, colonies of ants began farming fungi when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. This impact caused a global mass extinction but also created ideal conditions for fungi to thrive. Innovative ants began cultivating the fungi, creating an evolutionary partnership that became even more tightly intertwined 27 million years ago and continues to this day.
In a paper published today, Oct. 3, in the journal Science, scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History analyzed genetic data from hundreds of species of fungi and ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees. Comparing these trees allowed the researchers to create an evolutionary timeline of ant agriculture and pinpoint when ants first began cultivating fungi.
“Ants have been practicing agriculture and fungus farming for much longer than humans have existed,” said entomologist Ted Schultz, the museum’s curator of ants and the lead author of the new paper. “We could probably learn something from the agricultural success of these ants over the past 66 million years.”
Nearly 250 different species of ants in the Americas and Caribbean farm fungi. Researchers organize these ants into four agricultural systems based on their cultivation strategies. Leafcutter ants are among those that practice the most advanced strategy, known as higher agriculture. These ants harvest bits of fresh vegetation to provide sustenance for their fungi, which in turn grow food for the ants called gongylidia. This food helps fuel complex colonies of leaf cutter ants that can number in the millions.
Schultz has spent 35 years studying the evolutionary relationship between ants and fungi. He has conducted more than 30 expeditions to locales in Central and South America to observe this interaction in the wild and has reared colonies of leafcutter and other fungus-farming ants in his lab at the museum. Over the years, Schultz and colleagues have collected thousands of genetic samples of ants and fungi from throughout the tropics.
This stockpile of samples was crucial to the new paper.
“To really detect patterns and reconstruct how this association has evolved through time, you need lots of samples of ants and their fungal cultivars,” Schultz said.
The team used the samples to sequence genetic data for 475 different species of fungi (288 of which are cultivated by ants) and 276 different species of ants (208 of which cultivate fungi)—the largest genetic dataset of fungus-farming ants ever assembled. This allowed the researchers to create evolutionary trees of the two groups. Comparing wild fungal species with their cultivated relatives helped the researchers determine when ants began utilizing certain fungi.
The data revealed that ants and fungi have been intertwined for 66 million years. This is around the time when an asteroid struck Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period. This cataclysmic collision filled the atmosphere with dust and debris, which blocked out the sun and prevented photosynthesis for years. The resulting mass extinction wiped out roughly half of all plant species on Earth at the time.
However, this catastrophe was a boon for fungi. These organisms proliferated as they consumed the plentiful dead plant material littering the ground.
“Extinction events can be huge disasters for most organisms, but it can actually be positive for others,” Schultz said. “At the end of Cretaceous, dinosaurs did not do very well, but fungi experienced a heyday.”
Many of the fungi that proliferated during this period likely feasted on decaying leaf litter, which brought them in close contact with ants. These insects harnessed the plentiful fungi for food and continued to rely on the hardy fungi as life rebounded from the extinction event.
The new work also revealed that it took nearly another 40 million years for ants to then develop higher agriculture. The researchers were able to trace the origin of this advanced practice back to around 27 million years ago. At this time, a rapidly cooling climate transformed environments around the globe. In South America, drier habitats like woody savannas and grasslands fractured large swaths of wet, tropical forests. When ants took fungi out of the wet forests and into drier areas, they isolated the fungi from their wild ancestral populations. The isolated fungi became completely reliant on ants to survive in the arid conditions, setting the course for the higher agriculture system practiced by leafcutter ants today.
“The ants domesticated these fungi in the same way that humans domesticated crops,” Schultz said. “What’s extraordinary is now we can date when the higher ants originally cultivated the higher fungi.”
In addition to Schultz, the new paper included contributions from several coauthors affiliated with the National Museum of Natural History, including Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo, Matthew Kweskin, Michael Lloyd, Ana Ješovnik and Scott E. Solomon. The study also includes authors affiliated with the University of Utah; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; the University of California at Berkeley; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; São Paulo State University; the Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología; the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; the University of Copenhagen; Emory University; McMaster University; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Arizona State University; the University of Hohenheim; and Louisiana State University.
The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation; the Smithsonian; the University of Maryland; Louisiana State Board of Regents; Sistema Nacional de Investigación; Cosmos Club Foundation; Explorer’s Club in Washington, D.C.; São Paulo Research Foundation; Brazilian Council of Research and Scientific Development; Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The queen and workers of the leaf-cutting fungus-farming ant species Atta cephalotes, collected in Panama, on their higher-agriculture fungus garden.
Nearly 250 different species of ants in the Americas and Caribbean farm fungi. Researchers organize these ants into four agricultural systems based on their cultivation strategies.
In a paper published today, Oct. 3, in the journal Science, scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History analyzed genetic data from hundreds of species of fungi and ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees. According to the new study, colonies of ants began farming fungi when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. This impact caused a global mass extinction but also created ideal conditions for fungi to thrive. Innovative ants began cultivating the fungi, creating an evolutionary partnership that became even more tightly intertwined 27 million years ago and continues to this day.
Credit
Karolyn Darrow.
Entomologist Ted Schultz, the curator of ants at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the lead author of the new paper, on an ant-collecting expedition to the Acarai Mountains of southern Guyana in October 2006.
Schultz has spent 35 years studying the evolutionary relationship between ants and fungi. He has conducted more than 30 expeditions to locales in Central and South America to observe this interaction in the wild and has reared colonies of leafcutter and other fungus-farming ants in his lab at the museum. Over the years, Schultz and colleagues have collected thousands of genetic samples of ants and fungi from throughout the tropics.
In a paper published today, Oct. 3, in the journal Science, scientists at the museum analyzed genetic data from hundreds of species of fungi and ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees. According to the new study, colonies of ants began farming fungi when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. This impact caused a global mass extinction but also created ideal conditions for fungi to thrive. Innovative ants began cultivating the fungi, creating an evolutionary partnership that became even more tightly intertwined 27 million years ago and continues to this day.
