Insectualization

Insects have been around for a much longer time than humans. Insects such as ants and bees are so-called social species; as are humans. An ants nest is highly organized most often with the Queen only producing progeny. Since mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is only passed down through the female line, the mtDNA has therefore been fixed. The hierarchical nature of the ants in the nest and the differences between the various levels from Queen to the lowest worker has been gradually fixed over a long period of time. An external biological determinant effected this system to mould the species to best suit needs. In ants, the biological determinant is linked to the fungus that the ant farms in the centre of the nest, the question arises whether the ants' behaviour is being controlled by the fungus or could this be considered a case of mutual symbiosis; the ant farms the fungus, the fungus controls the behaviour of the ants to tend to it? In humans, the external biological determinant would appear to also be a fungus. The end point for social species that have evolved over a long period of evolutionary time is clear to see in insects. In evolutionary terms, humans have been around for the blink of an eye.