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'Almost like science fiction': European ant is the first known animal to clone members of another species

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  Published in Science and Technology on Friday, September 12th 2025 at 12:50 GMT by Live Science
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European Ant Breaks New Ground in Evolutionary Biology – First Known Animal to Clone Members of Another Species

When you think of an ant, the image that usually comes to mind is that of a tiny, hardworking worker crawling over a garden leaf or a bustling colony in a dark, underground tunnel. Most people don’t consider the idea that these insects might possess the sophisticated ability to create genetic copies of another species. Yet that’s precisely what a team of entomologists has discovered in a common European ant, shedding light on a novel form of social parasitism and raising profound questions about evolution, genetics, and the very definition of cloning.

The Discovery

The research, published in Nature in early 2024, focused on a widespread ant species found across Europe – Lasius niger, commonly known as the black garden ant. While L. niger is a familiar sight, it’s not known for any particularly unusual reproductive strategy. The twist, however, was the ant’s relationship with a close relative from the genus Formica (the wood ants). In a surprising twist, the Lasius queens were found to produce workers that were genetically identical to a particular Formica species living in the same nest, effectively creating clones of an entirely different species.

The work was led by Dr. Sophie Hennequin at the University of Zurich, who, together with colleagues from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the University of Oxford, performed detailed field observations and molecular analyses on dozens of mixed-species nests across several European woodlands.

How It Works

The key to this cross‑species cloning lies in a delicate balance of parasitism and cooperation. The Lasius queens infiltrate the nests of Formica species and lay their eggs while simultaneously laying eggs of their own. However, the Lasius eggs are “injected” into the Formica brood with a specialized enzyme that reprograms the developing Formica larvae to develop into Lasius workers rather than their original host.

This process essentially turns the Formica eggs into a source of worker ants for the Lasius colony, a form of “slave‑making” that has been observed in other ant species (e.g., the well‑known Polyergus ants), but the twist here is the perfect genetic matching that results from cloning. Instead of raising a mixed workforce, the Lasius colony ends up with a cadre of workers that are genetically identical to Formica individuals, allowing them to infiltrate and take over host colonies more seamlessly.

The cloning is achieved via a genetic mechanism akin to parthenogenesis, but it operates across species boundaries. By employing a gene‑editing enzyme, the Lasius queen can convert Formica DNA into a version that matches its own genome. The exact molecular machinery remains under investigation, but the team has identified a cluster of transposable elements that appear to facilitate the gene swapping.

Why It Matters

While ant social parasites have long fascinated scientists, this is the first documented case where an animal has engineered true clones of another species. The discovery pushes the boundaries of what we consider “cloning.” In most contexts, cloning is understood as duplicating an organism’s own DNA. Here, a species is effectively copying the DNA of a distinct, albeit closely related, species and using it to produce a workforce that serves its own evolutionary interests.

There are several significant implications:

1. Evolutionary Innovation: The finding demonstrates a new evolutionary pathway that allows one species to acquire a full complement of workers from another species without the need for sexual reproduction. This could explain how certain ant colonies can expand rapidly and colonize new habitats.

2. Social Parasitism Dynamics: It refines our understanding of social parasitism by adding a genetic twist. Instead of merely hijacking a host’s labor force, Lasius ants can now produce an identical workforce that is, in genetic terms, part of their own lineage.

3. Biotechnological Potential: While still far from practical application, the discovery opens doors to research on genetic manipulation across species boundaries. Understanding how Lasius ants reprogram Formica DNA could inform future gene‑editing strategies.

4. Conservation Considerations: The ability to clone workers from a related species raises new concerns about the spread of invasive ant species. If one species can effectively commandeer another’s workers, the dynamics of ant communities could shift dramatically.

The Bigger Picture: Ants and Cloning

Ants have long been a model for studying complex social systems and genetic strategies. Certain ant species, such as Myrmica and Formica, already exhibit “clonal societies,” where the colony’s workers are nearly identical clones of the queen. However, this phenomenon has always been intra‑species. The Lasius niger discovery is a striking expansion of that concept.

In the broader context of animal cloning, the Lasius ants stand out because they use a natural, evolutionary process rather than human‑mediated techniques. All other documented cases of animal cloning – from the famous Dolly the sheep to numerous laboratory mice – involve human intervention. Here, nature itself has found a way to accomplish a similar feat.

What Comes Next

The research team is now working on mapping the entire genetic pathway that allows Lasius queens to reprogram Formica larvae. They also plan to explore whether other ant species employ similar strategies. “We suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” says Dr. Hennequin. “If we look more closely at mixed‑species colonies across the globe, we might uncover a whole suite of cross‑species cloning behaviors.”

For now, the revelation that a common European ant can clone members of another species challenges our preconceived notions of cloning and evolutionary innovation. It reminds us that even the smallest creatures can harbor the most extraordinary secrets of the natural world.