Research conducted on ants living at high altitudes of Himalayas at Punjabi University; outcome published in international journals
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 25,2025
A recent research conducted by Punjabi University has identified the evolutionary novelties in ants adapted to high altitude regions of Himalayas.
The research work carried by Jaspreet Kaur under the supervision of Prof Himender Bharti from Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences Punjabi University focused on the high altitude ant species restricted to Himalayan regions. It is noteworthy that the research work has been published in journals of International repute.
Dr. Jaspreet Kaur said that these ant species are adapted to cold hardy conditions and survive in subzero temperatures. Interestingly, these ants have diversified in Himalayan regions during the formation of Himalaya about 50-60 million years ago and that lead to great degree of endemism. To survive in such harsh environment the ants have developed certain evolutionary novelties. The immature stages of these ants which face the harsh environmental conditions and overwinter have remarkable physiological, morphological and ecological adaptations.
Prof. Himender Bharti said that the ultra morphology of immature stages of 15 high altitude ant species from Himalaya have been elucidated based on Scanning Electron Microscopy. Based on morphological characters, ecology the evolutionary relationships of these species have also been deciphered. The outcome is entirely based on field biology and natural history, which is a rare discipline now a days and is a significant contribution in the field of evolutionary biology. He told that the major focus of this research was to unravel these adaptations and their evolutionary trajectories.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Jagdeep Singh highly commended the research work and extended his heartfelt congratulations to both the researcher and the mentor. He remarked that high-calibre research being undertaken in diverse fields such as language, literature, culture, and science and technology at Punjabi University stand as a testament to the institution’s alignment with global academic and knowledge trends. He emphasized the importance of encouraging and expanding such scholarly endeavors. Dr. Singh further stated that he is committed to fostering an academic environment within the university that nurtures and supports the pursuit of impactful and innovative research.
