"Ants are to be found everywhere, from the arctic regions to the tropics, from timberline on the loftiest mountains to the shifting sands of the dunes and seashores, and from the dampest forests to the driest deserts. Not only do they outnumber in individuals all other terrestrial animals, but their colonies even in very circumscribed localities often defy enumeration."
- W. M. Wheeler
We propose to assemble a comprehensive phylogenomic data set for ants that incorporates all major lineages (genera and species groups). The resulting phylogeny will provide a robust framework for addressing questions about macroecology, biogeography, and trait evolution, and it will permit the establishment of a stable higher classification of ants.
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