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Published online 29 June 2005 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news050627-7

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War of the fire ants

Males pit their genes against females by chucking DNA out of eggs.

In a bizarre war of the sexes, little fire ants have evolved a novel way to fight for their gender's genes, according to new research.

The sperm of the male ant appears to be able to destroy the female DNA within a fertilized egg, giving birth to a male that is a clone of its father.

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