Richter Adrian, Keller Roberto A, Rosumek Félix Baumgarten, Economo Evan P, Hita Garcia Francisco, Beutel Rolf G
Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan; MUHNAC/cE3c -Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
Arthropod Struct Dev. 2019 Mar;49:26-49. doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2019.02.002. Epub 2019 Mar 12.
Despite the ecological significance of ants and the intensive research attention they have received, thorough treatments of the anatomy and functional morphology are still scarce. In this study we document the head morphology of workers of the myrmicine Wasmannia affinis with optical microscopy, μ-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and 3D reconstruction, providing the first complete anatomical treatment of an ant head with a broad array of modern techniques. We discuss the potential of the applied methods to generate detailed and well-documented morphological data sets with increased efficiency. We also address homology problems, particularly in the context of the cephalic digestive tract. According to our analyses the "pharynx" of previous ant studies is homologous to the prepharynx of other insects. We also discuss the phylogenetic potential and functional significance of the observed characters, with internal features such as tentorium and musculature discussed for the first time. Our investigation underlines that detailed anatomical data for Formicidae are still very fragmentary, which in turn limits our understanding of the major design elements underlying the ant bauplan. We attempt to provide a template for further anatomical studies, which will help to understand the evolution of this fascinating group on the phenotypic level.
尽管蚂蚁具有重要的生态意义且受到了广泛的研究关注，但对其解剖结构和功能形态的全面研究仍然匮乏。在本研究中，我们运用光学显微镜、μ-计算机断层扫描、扫描电子显微镜和三维重建技术，记录了蚁科韦氏火蚁工蚁的头部形态，首次采用一系列现代技术对蚂蚁头部进行了完整的解剖学研究。我们讨论了所应用方法在高效生成详细且记录完备的形态学数据集方面的潜力。我们还探讨了同源性问题，特别是在头部消化道方面。根据我们的分析，以往蚂蚁研究中的“咽”与其他昆虫的咽前部分同源。我们还讨论了所观察到的特征的系统发育潜力和功能意义，首次对幕骨和肌肉组织等内部特征进行了讨论。我们的研究强调，蚁科的详细解剖数据仍然非常零碎，这反过来限制了我们对蚂蚁基本结构主要设计元素的理解。我们试图提供一个进一步解剖学研究的模板，这将有助于在表型层面理解这个迷人类群的进化。
