Geneticists announced the discovery of a previously unknown method of reproduction of living beings

Yellow crazy ants have “male” and “female” sperm

A method of obtaining offspring, previously unknown to science, was found in yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) living in subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and Australia. All their males turned out to be chimeras, that is, individuals carrying in some tissues only cells with the maternal gene, in others – only with the paternal gene, and in some – with both. This means that each of them can pass on a greater number of genomes to future offspring, thereby making the population incredibly tenacious. This was reported by employees of the German Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution.

First, let’s explain why tropical ants were labeled “crazy”. As explained in the Darwin Museum, if they are disturbed, they begin to make rapid chaotic movements, moving from side to side. But the most interesting thing is the peculiarity of their reproduction, which none of their animals have. All males of this species are chimeras. In general, chimeras are living creatures in the body of which there are cells with a different genetic set. Most often, such individuals appear by chance, for example, when one part of the body develops according to the male type, the other – according to the female. But male yellow crazy ants have made it a rule: they each have a female genetic makeup and a male genetic makeup without mixing with each other, in different cells.

To comment on the features of their reproduction, we asked the head of the laboratory of epigenetics of the Institute of General Genetics named after N.I. Vavilov RAS Sergei Kiselev.

– In the normal reproduction of multicellular creatures, the nuclei of the mother’s egg and father’s sperm merge together. The common nucleus carries the female and male chromosomes, the scientist explains. – Yellow crazy ants, as it turned out, everything happens differently due to the fact that all their males are chimeras. Their male and female nuclei (with R and W genomes, respectively) divide without merging. Thus, from a male who fertilizes the egg laid by the female with sperm with a reproductive set of genes – R, a royal individual will be born – a female with a set of RR genes, capable of reproduction. If the egg is fertilized by a “male” sperm – W, then working individuals with a set of RW will be born. The second option, as a rule, is more common than the “royal”.

– How does this identified feature help ants improve their population?

– The existence of two paternal genomes in one male – R and W, eventually constantly doubles the number of genomes in the population. If we conditionally compare a person with these ants, then it turns out that their offspring can receive a set of genes through the father’s line – either from the “grandmother” or from the “grandfather”. Both of these independently transferred genomes support greater genetic diversity, which in itself improves the population.

As Natalya Nosova, an employee of the Darwin Museum, explained in her blog, colonies of yellow crazy ants form supercolonies with hundreds of breeding queens in their habitats. As a result, these insects cause serious damage not only to small animals, such as crabs or birds, but also to equipment.

– Unlike other species, when they are disturbed, these ants do not bite, but shoot concentrated formic acid at the enemy. Crabs or birds eventually go blind, after which they become easy prey for the yellow crazy individuals, says Nosova. As for technology, according to the biologist, ants “revenge” her for those electric shocks that they receive by crawling inside computers and other gadgets.