Core Insights - A joint research project led by Chinese scientists has revealed how ants evolved from solitary species to a diverse group with over 15,000 species, highlighting key genes that drive social division and organizational structure in ant societies [1][2][3] Group 1: Evolutionary Mechanisms - The study indicates that ants have developed various behavioral traits and physiological features over 157 million years, such as foraging path marking and social parasitism, which are interconnected and form a modular dynamic system to adapt to environmental needs [2] - The research emphasizes that social organization changes are crucial for the radiation of ant species and their exceptional adaptability, with key genes undergoing changes under natural selection that reshape social division and complexity [3] Group 2: Genetic Insights - The findings suggest that some genes are 'enhanced' to adapt to new functions while others are 'relaxed' to simplify unnecessary traits, reflecting a shared genetic regulatory basis among different traits [2] - The study concludes that phenotypic traits do not evolve independently but are interconnected and co-evolve through the remodeling of genetic networks, leading to the diversity of ant species and social traits [3]