Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants

Hongjie Li; Chang-Yu Sun; Yihang Fang; Caitlin M. Carlson; Huifang Xu; Ana Ješovnik; Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo; Robert Zarnowski; Hans A. Bechtel; John H. Fournelle; David R. Andes; Ted R. Schultz; Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert; Cameron R. Currie

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19566-3

Nature Communications (Nov 2020)

Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants

Hongjie Li,
Chang-Yu Sun,
Yihang Fang,
Caitlin M. Carlson,
Huifang Xu,
Ana Ješovnik,
Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo,
Robert Zarnowski,
Hans A. Bechtel,
John H. Fournelle,
David R. Andes,
Ted R. Schultz,
Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert,
Cameron R. Currie

Affiliations

Hongjie Li: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chang-Yu Sun: Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yihang Fang: Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Caitlin M. Carlson: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Huifang Xu: Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ana Ješovnik: Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo: Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Robert Zarnowski: Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hans A. Bechtel: Advanced Light Source Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
John H. Fournelle: Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison
David R. Andes: Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ted R. Schultz: Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert: Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cameron R. Currie: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19566-3
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Biomineral armour is known in a number of diverse creatures but has not previously been observed in insects. Here, the authors report on the discovery and characterization of high-magnesium calcite armour which overlays the exoskeletons of leaf-cutter ants.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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