Hacker News

"Jumping genes" helped ants evolve after the extinction of the dinosaurs

21 points by gmays ago | 3 comments

lukan [-]

So unlike I thought this is not (just) about genes for jumping ants like these nasty fellows:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecia_nigrocincta

But jumping gene sequences:

"Jumping genes are DNA sequences that can move and replicate within a genome. For a long time, they were regarded as “genomic parasites” that, similar to viruses, multiply in the genome without benefiting their host and, in the worst case, can even cause diseases. However, they are now increasingly recognised as engines of evolutionary innovation. The new study shows that those ant lineages carrying the most transposable elements in their genomes are also the most species-rich today."

ashirviskas |root |parent [-]

Yeah, I saw exactly this in some of my evolution simulation experiments. They provide more exploration paths which evolution really seems to favor.

lukan |root |parent [-]

Biology is not my original field, but it does make sense to me. When the environment changes drastically (locally that can happen often), waiting for random mutation takes too much time.