Myrmecol. News 21: 59-72
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_021:059
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Year: 2015
- Title: Ant genomics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): challenges to overcome and opportunities to seize
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Volume: 21
- Pages: 59-72
- Type of contribution: Review Article
- Supplementary material: No
- Abstract: Myrmecologists have long studied the systematics, behavior, ecology, and evolution of ants. This first involved fundamental approaches including morphological description or behavioral observation, perhaps with the help of microscopes or marking ants with paint or wire. Many discoveries over the past 20 years have been accomplished with the help of more molecular approaches including allozymes, microsatellites, and chemical analyses, and more recently microarrays. The recent 10,000-fold drop in the cost of Dna sequencing has created new possibilities for myrmecological research. At least ten ant genomes have now been sequenced, with more on the way. Here, we aim to provide an introduction to genomics to the curious myrmecologist. For this, we discuss the genomics analyses possible without a full genome sequence, the motivations, approach and outcomes of a genome-sequencing project, and provide starting points for myrmecologists interested in using genomics data and approaches.
- Key words: Genomes, DNA sequencing, Formicidae, assembly, annotation, bioinformatics, review.
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: Print: 1994-4136 - Online: 1997-3500