Insects are essential for ecosystems, but mounting evidence suggests many populations are collapsing under modern pressures. A new study used cutting-edge genomic techniques on museum specimens to track centuries of ant biodiversity across Fiji. The results reveal that nearly 80% of native ants are in decline, with losses intensifying in the past few hundred years as human activities expanded.
Insects are essential for ecosystems, but mounting evidence suggests many populations are collapsing under modern pressures. A new study used cutting-edge genomic techniques on museum specimens to track centuries of ant biodiversity across Fiji. The results reveal that nearly 80% of native ants are in decline, with losses intensifying in the past few hundred years as human activities expanded. Insects are essential for ecosystems, but mounting evidence suggests many populations are collapsing under modern pressures. A new study used cutting-edge genomic techniques on museum specimens to track centuries of ant biodiversity across Fiji. The results reveal that nearly 80% of native ants are in decline, with losses intensifying in the past few hundred years as human activities expanded.