Ants Turned Into 'Supersoldiers' 80
New submitter jmcdougald.esq sends word that a team of researchers from McGill University has tinkered with the development of a type of ant to produce what they call a 'supersoldier' subcaste — ants that are much larger than average workers but only appear naturally in a few species (abstract). The team's work showed that by exposing the ant larvae to a hormone-like chemical, they could induce 'supersoldier' growth in many more species.
"This result suggests that supersoldiers existed in the common ancestor of the entire genus. Even though the supersoldier subcaste eventually disappeared in most species, the ants kept the potential to make it. Because the same hormone sets the fate of both supersoldiers and soldiers, it may not have been possible to completely lose one without compromising the other. ... In some species that evolved later, such as Pheidole obtusospinosa, the supersoldiers became a permanent addition. Whereas most Pheidole species simply evacuate their nests when army ants invade, for some reason P. obtusospinosa find it beneficial to stay, which makes supersoldiers a useful addition to the community."
You'd be surprised what's locked in OUR genome (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you realize that cancer is actually caused by the rogue and uncontrolled triggering of cellular growth that normally results in healing?
The fetus still goes through stages of growth that trace back to our evolution, a nine-month fast replay of evolution as the zygote develops into a viable organism.
The concept of genetic engineering is not scary because of the "risk" of GMO fields infecting natural genetics, but because of the few psychopaths who would like to use such technology to "eliminate disease." Who's to say a "disease" is not the first step of the next stage of evolution? The brilliance of many people I've met with ADHD and various levels of autism disorders are a key example -- they're not SUCCESSFUL adaptations yet, but I believe they're the beginnings of an evolution of a greater intelligence than the typical modern human.