Genetic scientists create freakish man-made monster ants

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Genetic scientists create freakish man-made monster ants (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:35:18 PM EDT

Welcome to a brave new world: Genetic scientists create freakish man-made monster ants with huge heads and jaws

By Rob Waugh

Last updated at 9:13 PM on 5th January 2012

Nightmarish 'supersoldier' ants with huge heads and jaws have been created by activating ancient genes.

A supersoldier next to a normal ant: Scientists say they can create the supersoldiers at will by dabbing normal ant larvae with a special hormone - the larvae then develop into supersoldiers rather than normal soldier or worker ants

Scientists believe the monster ants may be a genetic throwback to an ancestor that lived millions of years ago.

Supersoldier ants can occur naturally in the wild, but only rarely. In the deserts of America and Mexico, their job is to protect the colony from raids by invading army ants.

The supersoldiers use their enormous heads to block the nest entrance and attack any enemy ants that get too close.

Scientists showed that ordinary ants of the species Pheidole morrisi contain all the genetic 'tools' needed to turn them into supersoldiers - they just need a hormonal push.

The research is reported today in the journal Science.

The full story

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:37:07 PM EDT

[#1]

What could possibly go wrong?

http://www.newanimal.org/them_giant_ant.jpg

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:37:12 PM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:37:24 PM EDT

[#3]

I hate ants.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:38:18 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

http://pjmedia.com/ejectejecteject/files/2009/03/hailants.jpg

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:38:51 PM EDT

[#5]

Wait til some scientist does this to fire ants, they get out, and start to mutate into the general fire ant population.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:39:41 PM EDT

[#6]

Since birds are supposedly the descendants of dinosaurs, I wonder if they can isolate the hormone with which to inject into a robin's egg to hatch a baby T-rex?

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:39:56 PM EDT

[#7]

Great.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:40:36 PM EDT

[#8]

No way anything bad could come of this.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:40:48 PM EDT

[#9]

Best round for super soldier ant?

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:41:43 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Best round for super soldier ant?

10mm caseless API.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:41:44 PM EDT

[#11]

Phase IV

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:43:23 PM EDT

[#12]

I, for one, welcome our freakish, big headed ant overlords.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:44:25 PM EDT

[#13]

I guess it's the beginning of the end.

ETA: Shit, that was grasshoppers.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:44:40 PM EDT

[#14]

I'm gonna need a larger magnifying glass.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:45:24 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
What could possibly go wrong?

http://www.newanimal.org/them_giant_ant.jpg

My first thought.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:47:05 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Phase IV

Wake me up when we hit phase VII

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:48:56 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Since birds are supposedly the descendants of dinosaurs, I wonder if they can isolate the hormone with which to inject into a robin's egg to hatch a baby T-rex?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QVXdEOiCw8

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:49:11 PM EDT

[#18]

Maybe they should work on fixing the killer bee thing before doing this stuff again....

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:49:30 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I'm gonna need a larger magnifying glass.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:50:23 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
I'm gonna need a larger magnifying glass.

I lol'd hard.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:50:25 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
No way anything bad could come of this.

They're just activating genes already present in the genome. This isn't really all that innovative/manipulative. It says these supersized ants sometimes appear naturally in the wild, the scientists have just figured out which hormone can make it happen on a regular basis. We can already do similar things with other social insect species.

It is cool though.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:50:28 PM EDT

[#22]

FPNI

"Them!"

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:50:42 PM EDT

[#23]

Maybe we can swab some bald-faced hornet larvae with this special hormone.

Science isn't about why, it's about why not!

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:52:56 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
I'm gonna need a larger magnifying glass.

And a welding hood.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:53:44 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
What could possibly go wrong?

http://www.newanimal.org/them_giant_ant.jpg

My first thought.

Due to the physiology of insects, ants that size are next to impossible.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:54:22 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
FPNI

"Them!"

THEM!

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:54:25 PM EDT

[#27]

Ant city

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:55:59 PM EDT

[#28]

I have eaten ants.

They do need some more meat on those bones, so I say keep up the good work!

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:57:08 PM EDT

[#29]

I'm waiting for the talented folks who use photo shop to add a picture of themselves with thier favorite AR to this photo, thus saving this chick from certain doom....

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:59:47 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Maybe we can swab some bald-faced hornet larvae with this special hormone.

Science isn't about why, it's about why not!

What a ridiculous statement. You don't even comprehend what you're criticizing.

Posted: 1/5/2012 5:59:49 PM EDT

[#31]

THEM !

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:00:06 PM EDT

[#32]

Bull shit that's just a Cornnut with some roach legs attached.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:01:03 PM EDT

[#33]

WHY WOULD YOU CREATE SUCH A THING!?

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:03:27 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
WHY WOULD YOU CREATE SUCH A THING!?

First we figure out how to make ant heads bigger. Then we apply that knowledge towards making other heads bigger.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:03:35 PM EDT

[#35]

Aw shit!

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:03:44 PM EDT

[#36]

They're testing super soldier serum on the lower life forms first.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:04:14 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

http://pjmedia.com/ejectejecteject/files/2009/03/hailants.jpg

I, for one, welcome our ant overlords.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:04:40 PM EDT

[#38]

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:05:40 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Maybe we can swab some bald-faced hornet larvae with this special hormone.

Science isn't about why, it's about why not!

What a ridiculous statement. You don't even comprehend what you're criticizing.

Why do you hate science?

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:09:27 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
I have eaten ants.

They do need some more meat on those bones, so I say keep up the good work!

No bones, exoskeleton.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:12:26 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have eaten ants.

They do need some more meat on those bones, so I say keep up the good work!

No bones, exoskeleton.

Well, They did crunch a bit, I just assumed they were bones and I guess that is why there wasn't any meat on them

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:14:55 PM EDT

[#42]

just because you could does not mean you should

add this to the mold/spore/plant thng that turns ants into zombies and we are fucked

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:15:13 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:

Science isn't about why, it's about why not!

Indeed!

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:15:15 PM EDT

[#44]

I bet the same biological tweak is the reason my genitals are so much larger than those of the average male.

I have super soldier junk.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:16:38 PM EDT

[#45]

Glad I held on to my 17hm2

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:19:24 PM EDT

[#46]

For post 357, I give you the solution to this problem.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:23:11 PM EDT

[#47]

I, for one, welcome our Ant Overlords.

Posted: 1/5/2012 6:35:29 PM EDT

[#48]

I believe the process is similar to the royal jelly that helps a regular apis mellifera larvae grow into a queen. I say royal jelly, but it is probably a mixture of many things the bees produce.

Quoted:

Quoted:
Maybe we can swab some bald-faced hornet larvae with this special hormone.

Science isn't about why, it's about why not!

What a ridiculous statement. You don't even comprehend what you're criticizing.