The curious case of the ant queen producing sons of two species, PgII.

Key Highlights:

• Researchers discovered that Messor ibericus ant queens produce sons of two species: M. ibericus and M. structor.
• Female ants develop from fertilized eggs, while males (drones) develop from unfertilized eggs.
• M. ibericus queens eliminate their chromosomes from some eggs, which, when fertilized by M. structor sperm, become M. structor drones.
• The M. structor drones produced by M. ibericus queens are genetically identical clones.

Detailed Insights:

• M. ibericus queens mate with both M. ibericus and M. structor drones; eggs fertilized by M. ibericus sperm become queens, while those fertilized by M. structor sperm become sterile hybrid workers.
• The production of M. structor drones by M. ibericus queens is essential for generating hybrid workers in the subsequent generation, ensuring the continuation of obligate hybridization.
• Mitochondrial DNA analysis confirmed that M. structor drones from M. ibericus colonies possess M. structor nuclear DNA but M. ibericus mitochondrial DNA, indicating their maternal origin.
• The study suggests that M. ibericus colonies maintain obligate hybridization by producing the required species' males, gaining an advantage and solving the puzzle of M. structor individuals being exclusively male in certain regions.
• The domesticated M. structor males, being genetically isolated and cloned by the M. ibericus queens, raises questions about their classification as a distinct species, drawing parallels to the domestication of dogs from wolves.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Haploid: Having a single set of chromosomes in the cell nucleus.
• Diploid: Having two sets of chromosomes in the cell nucleus.
• Mitochondria: Organelles within cells containing their own DNA, inherited maternally.
• Hybridization: The process of combining two different species or varieties to create a hybrid.