Trap-jaw ants are infamous for having one of the strongest bites among all animals, but we didn’t really understand how they evolved from more traditional jaws. A new study looking at their evolutionary history found that the distinctive mechanism behind trap-jaws has evolved independently several times across the globe.
Unlike normal gripping jaws, which open and close through the contraction of muscles, trap-jaws use a complex mechanism to latch themselves open and clamp down when needed. This mechanism allows the jaws to store energy much like a spring, and this can be released to produce a lot of force quickly.
Simple tweaks helped the trap-jaw ant evolve its powerful bite
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Researchers say the trap-jaw of trap-jaw ants has evolved between seven and ten times in separate species around the world. Photo by Booher DB et al./PLOS Biology
March 2 (UPI) How did the trap-jaw ant evolve such a complex mechanism for snatching its prey?
Today, the mandibles of trap-jaw ants take many forms, suggesting a tremendous level of anatomical sophistication, the origins of which have remained elusive until now.
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According to a new study, published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Biology, the trap-jaw evolved independently between seven and ten times.
Climate Change 2021: A Coral s Colour May Tell Of Its Resilience asiatatler.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from asiatatler.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2021 07:52 AM MYT
One species of coral that is particularly threatened by climate change is Acropora tenuis, known to have three color morphs: brown, purple and yellow-green. Picture courtesy of goran safarek / Shutterstock
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NEW YORK, Feb 24 According to scientists in Japan, a coral’s colour can tell of its resilience to climate change. The yellow-green colour morph of a given species of coral was found to resist higher temperatures more effectively than the brown colour morph.
If you’ve dived in the Pacific Ocean or the Red Sea in recent years, you may have been struck by the amount of white coral reefs. These underwater structures are under threat from climate change and marine pollution. This can cause coral to turn a ghostly white colour a phenomenon called bleaching and ultimately die.
Luis Diaz Devesa
There are a number of lucky individuals who have a group of genes that reduces their risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These genes, or DNA variants, are inherited from the Neanderthals (our closest extinct human relatives), and are said to lower the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 by around 20%, according to a new study.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Japan, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany, and was published in the journal