Modern technology helps taxonomy
to identify new ant species.
Date: July 27, 2016
Source: Okinawa Institute of
Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University
The dragons from 'Game of
Thrones' have come to life in insect form. New ant species that appear
dragon-like due to their large and distinctive spines were recently found in
the tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Although they lack fire-breathing
capabilities, the unique, spiny characteristics of the ants reminded the
scientists who discovered them of the mythical dragons from the fantasy series
and inspired them to name the ants after the 'Game of Thrones' dragons.
The researchers, Dr. Georg
Fischer, Dr. Eli Sarnat, and Prof. Evan Economo from the Okinawa Institute of
Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), used cutting-edge 3D-imaging
technology to help identify and document several new ant species in two
different papers published in PLOS ONE.
The process of identifying,
documenting, and naming new species, "taxonomy" is one of the oldest
and most basic tasks in biology. Traditionally, new species are described with
photographs, drawings, and verbal descriptions. In this study, the authors used
new 3D imaging technology called X-Ray microtomography, which is similar to CT
scans used in hospitals, only at a much higher resolution suitable for smaller
objects, such as an ant.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!