Invader ants win by losing diversity.The Argentine ants that are trouncing U.S. species may derive much of their competitive power from a loss of genetic diversity during immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. . Biologists typically lament waning variety in species' gene pools as bad omens for survival. Yet Linepithema humile ants depend on that loss for their conquests, claim Neil D. Tsutsui and his colleagues at the University of California, San Diego UCSD is consistently ranked among the top ten public universities for undergraduate education in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.[3] It is a Public Ivy. [1] For graduate studies, most of UCSD's Ph.D. . The invaders look tiny compared with most U.S. ants, but they overwhelm the natives by sheer numbers. Earlier work showed that in their new home, they waste little effort scrapping among themselves. Nests grow fast and can combine forces (SN: 10/31/98, p. 278). The new study links this amiability to low genetic diversity in the ants' new country. Neighbors accept each other as relatives. In staged ant fights, ants from neighboring colonies in Argentina fought more readily than did their U.S. counterparts. In the war against invasive species
Invasive species is a phrase with many definitions. The first definition expresses the phrase in terms of non-indigenous species (e.g. , introducing genetic diversity might sow discord Discord See also Confusion. Andras demon of discord. [Occultism: Jobes, 93] discord, apple of caused conflict among goddesses; Trojan War ultimate result. [Gk. Myth. and slow supercolonies, the researchers muse in the May 23 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences. . |
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