Epigenetic pathway controls social behavior in carpenter ants

Researchers discovered that a protein called CoRest, a neural repressor that is also found in humans, plays a central role in determining the social behavior of ants. The study also revealed that worker ants called Majors, known as ‘brawny’ soldiers that protect colonies, can be reprogrammed to perform the foraging role — generally reserved for their sisters, the Minor ants — up to five days after they emerge as an adult ant.
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