洛克菲勒大学研究人员通过研究无性繁殖蚂蚁的神经生物学机制，发现进化可能通过改造古老的饥饿信号系统来产生亲代养护行为[1]。两种关键化学信号——神经肽F和促生长激素释放抑制激素A——控制蚂蚁在照顾幼虫和觅食之间的行为转变[1]。其中，神经肽F促进蚂蚁照顾幼虫，而促生长激素释放抑制激素A则促进蚂蚁觅食[1]。
研究显示，蚂蚁大脑中这些调节分子的水平与其生命阶段密切相关[1]。年轻蚂蚁的神经肽F水平较高、促生长激素释放抑制激素A水平较低，而年老蚂蚁的模式则相反[1]。进一步的实验表明，饥饿的蚂蚁神经肽F水平会升高，其行为表现得更像照顾者[1]。
研究负责人丹尼尔·克劳瑙尔指出，"进化很少从零开始创造事物"[1]，暗示进化倾向于重新利用现有的生物学机制。这一发现的意义在于，相关的神经调节机制在蚂蚁和小鼠等哺乳动物中存在重叠[1]，表明进化在不同动物间遵循相似的神经生物学蓝图。该研究已发表于《自然》杂志[1]。
Researchers at Rockefeller University have discovered that evolution may have repurposed an ancient hunger-signaling system to generate parental care behavior in ants.[1] The study, published in Nature on August 1, 2026, identifies two chemical signals that control the behavioral switch between caring for larvae and foraging: neuropeptide F promotes nurturing of young, while allatostatin A drives feeding behavior.[1] These signaling mechanisms overlap with those found in mammals, suggesting that evolution follows similar neurobiological blueprints across different animal species.[1]
The research examined asexual reproducing ants and found striking age-related patterns in these two molecules.[1] Young ants display high levels of neuropeptide F and low levels of allatostatin A, while older ants show the opposite pattern.[1] Notably, hungry ants exhibit elevated neuropeptide F levels and behave more like caretakers, suggesting that hunger drives the same neural pathways as parental behavior.[1] Daniel Kronauer, leading the study, noted that "evolution rarely creates things from scratch," emphasizing how ancient biological systems are recycled rather than invented anew.[1]
The findings underscore the economy of evolutionary design. Despite the vast difference in brain complexity—ant brains contain approximately 60,000 neurons compared to roughly 100 million in mouse brains—the regulatory mechanisms governing these fundamental behavioral choices appear conserved across species.[1] The research team annotated 70 neuropeptides in their analysis, laying groundwork for understanding how neural systems can orchestrate social behaviors.[1]