Scientists found bursts of activity from 'jumping genes' in ant DNA coincided with the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. This genetic turbulence may have driven the rapid evolution of major ant groups and their advanced chemical communication.
Ants are ecological engineers that shape ecosystems worldwide. Understanding how a mass extinction event sparked their evolutionary success reveals how mobile DNA elements can fuel adaptation during planetary crises, a mechanism relevant to all life.
✦ A mass extinction may have unlocked ants' evolutionary potential through mobile DNA.