Question

Which statement about leaf-cutter ants is false?

1) Nonresident fungi periodically invade leaf-cutter ant colonies.
2) Some fungus-growing ants occasionally gather new, free-living fungi from surrounding soils, which they then culture.
3) In some fungus-growing ant species, fungi always come from propagules passed on from a parental colony to each of its descendant colonies.
4) Fungi-tending is a relatively recent innovation in ants (less than 3 million years old).

Answer 1

The false statement about leaf-cutter ants is that fungi-tending is a relatively recent innovation, as it actually evolved over 50 million years ago, not less than 3 million. (option 4)

Step-by-step explanation:

Leaf-cutter ants have engaged in mutualistic relationships with fungi for tens of millions of years, making the statement about fungi-tending being a recent innovation inaccurate. Leaf-cutter ants cultivate fungi for food, and this symbiotic relationship is ancient and well-established. The ants carry leaf fragments to their nests, creating a substrate for fungal growth. The fungal cultivars, in turn, provide the ants with a nutrient-rich food source. The mutualism between leaf-cutter ants and fungi is a sophisticated and evolved behavior that significantly predates the suggested timeline.

Leaf-cutter ants have a long-standing mutualistic relationship with fungi, challenging the assertion that fungi-tending is a recent innovation. This intricate symbiosis has evolved over millions of years, highlighting the complexity and adaptability of ant-fungus mutualism in the natural world.