The asteroid wiped out dinosaurs 66 million years ago; now scientists say ‘jumping genes’ may have helped ants conquer the planet

The asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs 66 million years ago may have helped ants spread across the planet; study finds a surprising genetic link

The asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago may have also set the stage for one of the most successful groups of insects on Earth. A new study suggests that so-called “jumping genes”, mobile pieces of DNA that can move around the genome, may have played a crucial role in the evolution and diversification of ants, including the development of their sophisticated chemical communication systems.According to a report published by ScienceDaily on October 27, 2026, the international research team was led by Dr Lukas Schrader of the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity at the University of Münster in Germany. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, point to a possible genetic link between the environmental upheaval following the asteroid impact and the subsequent expansion of major ant groups.

How jumping genes may have shaped ant evolution

Ants are among the most widespread and successful social insects, with more than 15,000 known species found across the world. To understand how they achieved such diversity, researchers examined transposable elements, commonly known as jumping genes.These DNA sequences can shift to different locations within a genome and make additional copies of themselves. They were traditionally regarded as genomic parasites because their activity does not always benefit the organism and can sometimes cause harmful mutations.However, scientists increasingly recognise that these genetic elements can also contribute to evolutionary change. By altering DNA and influencing gene activity, they may create opportunities for new traits to emerge.The study found that ant lineages with larger numbers of jumping genes also tended to have greater species diversity. Researchers further observed bursts of transposable element activity in several major ant lineages during the early Paleogene, the period that began around 66 million years ago. These bursts preceded the expansion of the groups into the diverse lineages seen today.The findings suggest that the ecological changes following the mass extinction may have coincided with genetic changes that helped ants diversify. However, the study points to a possible evolutionary connection rather than proving that the asteroid impact directly caused these genetic changes.

Genetic changes may have strengthened ants’ sense of smell

One of the study’s notable findings concerns the role of jumping genes in the evolution of ant communication.Ants rely heavily on chemical signals to navigate their surroundings, identify members of their colonies, locate food and coordinate collective activities. Their ability to detect these signals depends on specialised proteins called odorant receptors, which allow them to recognise different smells.The researchers found a connection between transposable elements and the expansion of gene families responsible for these receptors. This raises the possibility that jumping genes helped ants develop more sophisticated chemical sensing abilities, giving them additional advantages in their social and ecological environments.The findings do not establish that jumping genes alone produced these capabilities. Instead, they highlight a potential genetic contribution to the sensory systems that underpin complex ant societies.

Researchers traced 100 million years of ant evolution

For the study, the international team compared the genomes of 163 ant species, representing 12 of the 16 ant subfamilies that survive today. Using these genetic comparisons, the researchers reconstructed changes in transposable element activity over approximately 100 million years.As reported by ScienceDaily, the analysis revealed a striking association between periods of increased jumping gene activity and the later diversification of several ant lineages.Similar patterns have been reported in other animal groups, including primates and bats, suggesting that mobile genetic elements may have played a wider role in evolutionary change.The research adds to scientific understanding of how genetic variation and environmental upheavals can shape biodiversity over millions of years. It also challenges the idea that DNA sequences once dismissed as genetic parasites are merely genomic passengers, suggesting that some may have contributed to the evolutionary success of one of the planet’s most widespread insect groups.