Research Training Program

Phillip Barden
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona

Ted Schultz, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Entomology

"Through science, it is possible to have a conversation with nature, to ask questions, and receive answers that you couldn't possibly imagine. At the NMNH and the Smithsonian, this is routine, and I consider myself very lucky, having played a small role in this process."

So Many Ants, So Little Time: Can DNA Barcoding Help?

Ants are found all over the world, and are very important members of the ecosystems they inhabit. Aside from their tremendous success in the animal kingdom, ants are of scientific interest because of their complex social systems, physiology, and diversity. There are over 12,000 species of ants described to date. However, that is thought to be less than half of the actual number of ant species that exist. Part of the reason that so few ant species have been described is because some species are very difficult to tell apart. In situations such as this, it is very helpful to utilize a relatively new method for species identification called DNA barcoding. By comparing genetic differences between species it is possible, not only to identify species faster, but to detect cryptic species that were previously unknown. This method is particularly useful for diverse genera such as the genus Pheidole, which is thought to contain over 1,000 different species of ants. Smithsonian scientists recently collected ants from eight locations in Guyana and discovered that one genus in particular, the Pheidole genus, contained the most species, thereby providing a unique opportunity for assessing the effectiveness of DNA barcoding. Now, the ants are to be identified based on genetic variation in the barcode region, a specific region of their DNA. The new species patterns produced from DNA will then be compared with the results based on physical characteristics from the 2002 survey. This research shows that DNA barcoding, particularly with ants, can serve as a quick and useful tool for researchers working to answer biodiversity questions in the future.

This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives.