Skip to main content

How does the trap-jaw ant's adaption help it avoid becoming the prey of another organism?

Trap-jaw ants are equipped with powerful mandibles that have a spring-loaded mechanism which enables them snap closed at extremely high speeds. This trap-jaw mechanism has evolved several times in various groups of ants, using different structures to achieve the trap-jaw function.


The mandibles are equipped with ‘trigger hairs’ connected to neurons which spur the mandibles into action as soon as they come in contact with the surface of another object. This enables them to capture...

Trap-jaw ants are equipped with powerful mandibles that have a spring-loaded mechanism which enables them snap closed at extremely high speeds. This trap-jaw mechanism has evolved several times in various groups of ants, using different structures to achieve the trap-jaw function.


The mandibles are equipped with ‘trigger hairs’ connected to neurons which spur the mandibles into action as soon as they come in contact with the surface of another object. This enables them to capture prey and fight other ants using their trap-jaw.


Trap-jaw ants can also use their powerful jaws to catapult themselves into the air to evade predators. Typically these jaw jumps propel the ants backwards, flipping them upside down and occasionally making it difficult for them to get away soon enough from a hungry predator.


Recently, scientists have discovered that a species of jaw-ants, Odontomachus rixosus, can use their legs rather than their jaws to jump. This leg jumping, which is also perceived as an adaptive trait, has clear advantages. It can enable them to escape from a predator by jumping forwards rather than backwards.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more