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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Collection and Long-Term Maintenance of Leaf-Cutting Ants Atta in Laboratory Conditions

Collection and Long-Term Maintenance of Leaf-Cutting Ants Atta in Laboratory Conditions

Published on: August 30, 2022

Ant-plant interactions evolved through increasing interdependence.

Matthew P Nelsen¹, Richard H Ree², Corrie S Moreau²

¹Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605 mpnelsen@gmail.com.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|November 14, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ant-plant interactions evolved in the Mesozoic, with ants shifting from predation to plant-based diets and arboreal nesting. These co-evolutionary changes influenced plant diversification but not ant diversification.

Keywords:

angiosperms coevolution macroevolution mutualism

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Phylogenetics

Background:

Ant-plant interactions are crucial biotic interactions, serving as classic models for mutualism.
Understanding the evolutionary history and macroevolutionary consequences of these interactions is key.

Purpose of the Study:

To infer the timing and mechanisms of ant-plant interaction evolution.
To assess the macroevolutionary outcomes of these interactions.

Main Methods:

Phylogenetic analysis of over 1,700 ant species and 10,000 plant genera.
Time-scaled phylogenies were used to reconstruct evolutionary history.

Main Results:

Ant-plant interactions originated in the Mesozoic, with ants transitioning to arboreal foraging and plant-based diets.
Plant-derived diets preceded extrafloral nectaries and elaiosomes; strict herbivory evolved in the Cenozoic.
Arboreal nesting evolved in the Mesozoic, preceding domatia evolution.
Plants with ant-associated traits show enhanced diversification, while ant diversification is unaffected.

Conclusions:

Ant-plant associations became increasingly intricate and interdependent as angiosperms dominated ecosystems.
Co-evolution led to diverse macroevolutionary consequences for both ants and plants.