What is it about?
If you have ever wondered how leaf-cutter ants developed their fungus farming, or how termites developed their complex association with a fungus, then this might be a paper for you to read. There are theories as to how such complex associations formed, but there are no 'half-way' stages to prove it. This paper reports some of the experiments and discusses the possible ways in which the insect-fungus associations could develop. There is a possible 'half-way' situation used as a case-study.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
It is an example of interdisciplinary research, based on observations and some experimentation. It might be of interest to new researchers in either mycology or entomology, helping them to broaden their ecological understanding.
Perspectives
I like to try to see the natural world in the round, rather than only in silos of excellence. This is a relatively light touch academic investigation considering a wide range of aspects in a case-study.
Douglas Fraser
Sheffield Hallam University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Discussion of development processes in insect‐fungus association derived from the shaggy parasol fruiting on the nests of hairy wood ants, Ecology and Evolution, September 2019, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5611.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
