06/04/2024 | Researchers at the iomE of JGU and the University of Lausanne asked themselves, how it is determined in ants whether males or females hatch? In other words, what molecular mechanisms underlie sex determination in ants? After all, the majority of the ant population consists of female workers, but the few males are essential for the survival of the species. In order to track down these mechanisms, the researchers focussed on diploid males of the Argentine ant. In this species, sterile males can also be produced from fertilized eggs during inbreeding if the alleles of the sex-determining DNA segment are identical. The team, with the participation of Dr. Huga Darras, published the results in the renowned journal Science Advances.