Breaking News: Atta cephalotes genome published!

Feb 11th, 2011

by myrmecos.

An army ant raid passes peacefully through a trail of Atta cephalotes leafcutters.

We interrupt Army Ant Week to announce that a paper describing the Atta cephalotes leafcutter ant genome has just been published. I’ll report more on this research next week, once we take leave of the army ants.

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source:
Suen G, Teiling C, Li L, Holt C, Abouheif E, et al. (2011) The Genome Sequence of the Leaf-Cutter Ant Atta cephalotes Reveals Insights into Its Obligate Symbiotic Lifestyle. PLoS Genet 7(2): e1002007. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002007

Posted in: Ants.
Tagged: Atta · genomics

7 Comments

1. ABM says:

   February 11, 2011 at 8:54 pm

   Yeah!

   Reply
2. BioBob says:

   February 11, 2011 at 9:23 pm

   we live in interesting times…

   this genetic unraveling is getting fascinating. faster please !

   Reply
3. James.C. Trager says:

   February 12, 2011 at 9:16 am

   LOVE the accompnying picture!

   Reply
   1. myrmecos says:

      February 12, 2011 at 11:55 am

      I don’t often have the *perfect* photo to accompany a blog post. This one, though…

      Reply
4. Gunnar says:

   February 12, 2011 at 1:59 pm

   Atta boy!

   Reply
5. JasonC. says:

   February 12, 2011 at 10:16 pm

   Interesting how the army ants just skirt on by without bothering to try nabbing a few Atta workers. But if, say, there was an Atta mating flight and an Atta queen landed in an army ant trail, would she be tort to pieces?

   Reply
6. Andrew says:

   February 13, 2011 at 10:48 am

   When is leaf cutter ant week? Or Argentine ant week? or…

   Reply