How plants evolved to make ants their servants

Plants have evolved ways to make ants defend them from attacks and spread their seeds, and this new study shows how it happened. In a new study breaking down the genetic history of 1,700 species of ants and 10,000 plant genera, researchers found that the long history of ant and plant co-evolution started with ants foraging on plants and plants responding by evolving ant-friendly traits.

"There are a number of different structures plants make that are specific for ant use. "Some plants have evolved features that persuade ants into defending them from attack from other insects and even mammals. These include hollow thorns that ants will live inside or extra nectar on leaves or stems for the ants to eat. Some ants will just cheat and take the nectar and run, but some will stick around and attack anything that tries to hurt the plant. Other plants get ants to help them move their seeds around, by bribing them with rich food packets attached to seeds called elaiosomes. "The ant will pick up the seed and carry it away, eat the food packet, and discard the seed often in a nutrient-rich area where it'll grow better, and since it's farther away from its parent, they won't have to compete for resources. "But scientists weren't sure how the evolutionary relationship between ants and plants got started.