The surprising strategy employed by weaver ants has left scientists stunned, as their unique approach to teamwork could potentially transform the field of robotics. A recent study published in Current Biology reveals that individual weaver ants actually increase their contribution to tasks when working in larger groups, defying the long-standing problem of declining performance with team size.

This phenomenon was first observed by French engineer Max Ringelmann in 1913, who found that human teams’ total force increased as more people joined in, but each individual’s contribution decreased. In contrast, weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) have evolved to form super-efficient teams where individuals actually get better at working together as the group gets bigger.

Lead author Madelyne Stewardson from Macquarie University explains that each individual ant almost doubles their pulling force as team size increases. The researchers set up experiments enticing weaver ant colonies to form pulling chains to move an artificial leaf connected to a force meter. They found that the ants split their work into two jobs: some actively pull while others act like anchors to store the pulling force.

The key to this mechanism lies in the “force ratchet” theory developed by co-lead author Dr Daniele Carlesso from the University of Konstanz. Ants at the back of chains stretch out their bodies to resist and store the pulling force, while ants at the front keep actively pulling. This method allows longer chains of ants to have more grip on the ground, better resisting the force of the leaf pulling back.

The discovery has significant implications for robotics, as current robots only output the same force when working in teams as when alone. Dr Chris Reid from Macquarie’s School of Natural Sciences says that programming robots to adopt ant-inspired cooperative strategies could allow teams of autonomous robots to work together more efficiently.

This rewritten article maintains the core ideas but improves clarity, structure, and style, making it understandable to a general audience. The added prompt for image generation provides a visual representation of the weaver ant colony working together.

The discovery of the Denisovans has revolutionized our understanding of human evolution. In 2010, scientists uncovered the first draft of the Neanderthal genome, confirming that early humans had interbred with these extinct relatives. Just months later, a finger bone found in Denisova Cave revealed the presence of another unknown hominin group, the Denisovans. Like their Neanderthal counterparts, researchers have found evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and Denisovans.

According to Dr. Linda Ongaro, Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Genetics and Microbiology, this phenomenon is not unique to a single event but rather the result of multiple interbreeding episodes that shaped the course of human history. “It’s a common misconception that humans evolved suddenly and neatly from one common ancestor,” she notes. “The more we learn, the more we realize interbreeding with different hominins occurred and helped shape the people we are today.”

Despite the limited Denisovan fossil record, scientists have managed to uncover significant evidence of their genetic legacy. By leveraging surviving segments in modern human genomes, researchers have identified at least three past events where genes from distinct Denisovan populations were incorporated into the genetic signatures of humans.

These events reveal varying degrees of genetic similarity to the Denisovan remains found in the Altai region, suggesting a complex relationship among these closely related groups. In their review, Dr. Ongaro and Professor Emilia Huerta-Sanchez highlight evidence that Denisovans lived across a vast territory stretching from Siberia to Southeast Asia and from Oceania to South America. Different groups appear to have been adapted to their own specific environments.

Moreover, scientists have detailed several Denisovan-derived genes that provided survival advantages in different parts of the world. For example, one genetic locus confers tolerance to hypoxia (low oxygen conditions), which makes sense in Tibetan populations; multiple genes confer heightened immunity; and one gene impacts lipid metabolism, providing heat when stimulated by cold, giving an advantage to Inuit populations in the Arctic.

Dr. Ongaro emphasizes that there are numerous future directions for research that will help tell a more complete story of how the Denisovans impacted modern humans. These include more detailed genetic analyses in understudied populations and integrating more genetic data with archaeological information, which could reveal currently hidden traces of Denisovan ancestry.

The discovery by scientists at the University of Leicester has revealed that jewel wasps can undergo a natural “time-out” as larvae before emerging into adulthood with this surprising advantage. The study, published in PNAS, shows that this pause in development within the wasp dramatically extends lifespan and decelerates the ticking of the so-called “epigenetic clock” that marks molecular aging.

Aging isn’t just about counting birthdays; it’s also a biological process that leaves molecular fingerprints on our DNA. One of the most accurate markers of this process is the epigenetic clock, which tracks chemical changes in DNA, known as methylation, that accumulate with age. The study found that by altering the course of development itself, the jewel wasps could slow down their aging process at a molecular level.

To investigate this phenomenon, a team of researchers exposed jewel wasp mothers to cold and darkness, triggering a hibernation-like state in their babies called diapause. This natural “pause button” extended the offsprings’ adult lifespan by over a third. Even more remarkably, the wasps that had gone through diapause aged 29% more slowly at the molecular level than their counterparts.

“It’s like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank,” said Evolutionary Biology Professor Eamonn Mallon, senior author on the study. “It shows that aging isn’t set in stone; it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins.”

The researchers found that this molecular slowdown was linked to changes in key biological pathways that are conserved across species, including those involved in insulin and nutrient sensing. These same pathways are being targeted by anti-aging interventions in humans.

What makes this study novel and surprising is that it demonstrates a long-lasting, environmentally triggered slowdown of aging in a system that’s both simple and relevant to human biology. It offers compelling evidence that early life events can leave lasting marks not just on health but on the pace of biological aging itself.

Understanding how and why aging happens is a major scientific challenge. This study opens up new avenues for research, not just into the biology of wasps, but into the broader question of whether we might one day design interventions to slow aging at its molecular roots. With its genetic tools, measurable aging markers, and clear link between development and lifespan, Nasonia vitripennis is now a rising star in aging research.

“In short, this tiny wasp may hold big answers to how we can press pause on aging,” concluded Professor Mallon. Funding for the study was provided by The Leverhulme Trust and The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).