Speculative Species

In Speculative Evolution, we envisioned how species could be further developed to increase their resilience based on scientific publications on synthetic biology, genetic engineering and robotics, and formulated text prompts to create AI-generated images using DALL-E. As a result, each speculative species in the environment has a backstory rooted in real-life scenarios.
 
 


Clonal Raider Ant
Clonal Raider Ants
2017genetically modified to provide key clues as to how social behavior evolves
Laboratory research by Kronauer, 2017
2054genetically modified to enhance their sociality through their sense of smell and body movements

Lineage of the 100 species from a total of 160

    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-1-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-1-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-1-1-1, Android 11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1-1-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-1-1-1-1, Android 11, Alor Star, Malaysia (1-1-1-1-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-2)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-2-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-2-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-3)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-3-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-3-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-4Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-4)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-4-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-4-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-46Samsung A307G, Android 11, Presidente Derqui, Argentina (1-46)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-46-1Samsung A307G, Android 11, Presidente Derqui, Argentina (1-46-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-5Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-5)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-5-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-5-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-5-1-1, Android 11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1-5-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Android 11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1-5-1-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Android 11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1-5-1-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-5-3, Android 10, Lagos, Nigeria (1-5-3)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-5-4Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-5-4)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (1-6)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1, Android 11, , United States (1-6-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1Samsung T720, Android 11, Del Viso, Argentina (1-6-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1Samsung T720, Android 11, Pilar, Argentina (1-6-1-1-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1Samsung T720, Android 11, Jose C. Paz, Argentina (1-6-1-1-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1, Android 14, Porto, Portugal (1-6-1-1-1-1-1)
                • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1, Android 12, Guernica, Argentina (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                  • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Huawei CRT-L33, Android 12, , Colombia (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2, Android 12, Chengdu, China (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2)
                          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1, Android 11, Porto, Portugal (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1)
                          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2, Android 13, Bila Tserkva, Ukraine (1-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-2Samsung P613, Android 14, Sneedville, United States (1-6-1-1-1-1-2)
                • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-1-1-2-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-6-1-1-1-1-2-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-1-2, Android 11, Malabon, Philippines (1-6-1-1-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-2, Android 11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1-6-1-2)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-2-1, Android 13, Statesville, United States (1-6-1-2-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-1-2-1-1Samsung A325F, Android 12, Boardman, United States (1-6-1-2-1-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Berlin, Germany (1-6-2)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-6-3Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (1-6-3)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7Samsung S901B, Android 14, Stuttgart, Germany (1-7)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1Samsung N981U, Android 13, Tampa, United States (1-7-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1, Android 11, Srbobran, Serbia (1-7-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1, Android 12, Barcelona, Spain (1-7-1-1-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1, Android 11, Sorocaba, Brazil (1-7-1-1-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-7-1-1-1-1-1)
                • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung P613, Android 14, Myrtle Beach, United States (1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                  • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung N960U1, Android 10, Auckland, New Zealand (1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A127F, Android 13, Naaldwijk, The Netherlands (1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-1-2, Android 10, , China (1-7-1-1-1-1-2)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-2Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-7-1-1-1-2)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-1-1-1-2-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-7-1-1-1-2-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Berlin, Germany (1-7-2)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-3Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-7-3)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-7-3-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-7-3-1)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8, Android 11, , United States (1-8)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-8-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-8-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Limassol, Cyprus (1-8-2-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-2Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (1-8-2-2)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-2-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (1-8-2-2-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-2-1-1Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (1-8-2-2-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-2-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-8-2-2-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-2-3Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (1-8-2-3)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Schaffhausen, Switzerland (1-8-3)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-3-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (1-8-3-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-3-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-8-3-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-3-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-8-3-3)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-4Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (1-8-4)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-4-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-8-4-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-8-5Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-8-5)
    • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9, Android 13, Porto Velho, Brazil (1-9)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1Samsung G980F, Android 13, Barranquilla, Colombia (1-9-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-1Samsung G990E, Android 14, Gravataí, Brazil (1-9-1-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-1-1Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-9-1-1-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-1-1-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, Schaffhausen, Switzerland (1-9-1-1-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider AntSamsung G955U, Android 9, Schaffhausen, Switzerland (1-9-1-1-1-1)
        • Clonal Raider AntSamsung G955U, Android 9, Schaffhausen, Switzerland (1-9-1-1-1-1)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3Samsung G950F, Android 9, São Paulo, Brazil (1-9-1-3)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1Samsung A356E, Android 14, Santiago, Chile (1-9-1-3-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-3-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-1-1Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (1-9-1-3-1-1-1)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-3-1-2)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-3-1-3)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-4Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (1-9-1-3-1-4)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-4-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (1-9-1-3-1-4-1)
                • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-4-1-1Samsung N975F, Android 12, Barranquilla, Colombia (1-9-1-3-1-4-1-1)
              • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-1-4-2Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (1-9-1-3-1-4-2)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-3-2Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (1-9-1-3-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-4Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (1-9-1-4)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-4-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-4-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-4-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-4-2)
            • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-1-4-2-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-1-4-2-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-2, Android 11, São Paulo, Brazil (1-9-2)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-2-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-2-1)
          • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-2-1-1Samsung A055M, Android 14, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1-9-2-1-1)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-3)
      • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-4Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-4)
        • Clonal Raider Ant, Species 1-9-4-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (1-9-4-1)

Transcriptomics and neuroanatomy of the clonal raider ant implicate an expanded clade of odorant receptors in chemical communication

Sean K. McKenzie, Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda, Vanessa Ruta, and Daniel J. C. Kronauer
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1610800113

Abstract

A major aim of sociogenomic research is to uncover common principles in the molecular evolution of sociality. This endeavor has been hampered by the small number of specific genes currently known to function in social behavior. Here we provide several lines of evidence suggesting that ants have evolved a large and novel clade of odorant receptor (OR) genes to perceive hydrocarbon-based pheromones, arguably the most important signals in ant communication. This genomic expansion is also mirrored in the ant brain via a corresponding expansion of a specific cluster of glomeruli in the antennal lobe. We show that in the clonal raider ant, hydrocarbon-sensitive basiconic sensilla are found only on the ventral surface of the female antennal club. Correspondingly, nearly all genes in a clade of 180 ORs within the 9-exon subfamily of ORs are expressed exclusively in females and are highly enriched in expression in the ventral half of the antennal club. Furthermore, we found that across species and sexes, the number of 9-exon ORs expressed in antennae is tightly correlated with the number of glomeruli in the antennal lobe region innervated by odorant receptor neurons from basiconic sensilla. Evolutionary analyses show that this clade underwent a striking gene expansion in the ancestors of all ants and slower but continued expansion in extant ant lineages. This evidence suggests that ants have evolved a large clade of genes to support pheromone perception and that gene duplications have played an important role in the molecular evolution of ant communication.
Clonal raider ants antennate each other, tapping each other with the ventral surface of their antennal club.