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Nowadays we say Win-Win, Referring to a situation that offers advantages for all parties Involved. Biologists, this concept is already known for a long time. They call it symbiosis.
have some such purpose of identified communities. So, there are hermit crabs on the housing anemones have settled. Keep the enemies of the cancer in mind Also famous is the clown fish, for example, The animals live between the poisonous stinging cells of anemones and are safe from robbery. In return, the fish cleans and provide rich water.
Exciting such life communities, particularly from an evolutionary perspective. How did you develop a community?
crabs defend coral reef against snail invasion symbiosis crabs defend coral reefs against snail invasion
Scientists from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago have reviewed this question for the relations of ants and plants. Millions of years ago the animals used plants. Later, the special features emerged in the case of plants, the ants selectively attract or keep.
Some of today's species of ants are hiding behind the thorns, or drink juices, nectar and other plants: The plants fight back again with the help of the pests, or your seeds from the small insects to distribute.
but when this symbiotic relationship, the scientists from the Field Museum asked. "That was a chicken-or-egg question," says co-author Richard Ree. "It all started with ants, which has developed in the plants to the advantage of the plant or plants, in order to make the ants?"
The researchers looked at the development history of more than 1730 species and more than 10,000 plant genera. You dröselten, when certain characteristics in ants and plants appeared.
Video: suspension bridge made of thousands of ants
Video Julio Diaz Orias
The analysis that, first of all, predatory, started ground-dwelling ants to climb and to conquer plants and as a habitat. Then some species began to plant, for use as a food source. This happened in the Cretaceous, the section of the earth's history, which started 145 million years ago and 100 million years ago ended.
Later, towards the end of the Cretaceous, some of the species of the focus of their lives on plants, and put on their nests. Most of these adaptations were, however, later in the Cenozoic, the scientists write in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences". Which began 66 million years ago, when the dinosaurs became extinct, and continued to this day.
The investigation revealed that the plants developed, of which ants benefit later. Nectar acorns appeared, therefore, in the later Cretaceous period, but especially in the Cenozoic. Special hiding places for ant – Domatia – emerged recently.
To increase the speciation among the ants is the use of plants only or not, the scientists write. "Nelsen," says Nelsen, "We do not know what we're talking about."
joe / dpa
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