According to scientists, they have solved the mystery behind how growth of animals is controlled by environment factors. Scientists at McGill University said that they decided to identify a mechanism by which environment factors also known as epigenetic factors have an overarching effect in making quantitative variation in complex traits like skin color, intelligence, height and tendency to develop certain diseases among others.

Epigenetic experiments on ants were conducted by the researchers. It has been informed that ants were from the species Camponotus floridanus which is better known as the Florida carpenter ant. As per the researchers, the degree of DNA methylation of a gene included in controlling growth called EGFR has increased.

It was found by the researchers that the more methylated the gene, the bigger the size of the ants. According to the researchers, various animals involving humans contain the EGFR gene. The gene is associated with the development of cancers and works by triggering the actions of other genes.

Ehab Abouheif, professor from the McGill's Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Biology said that this is the finding that entirely changes the knowledge of how human variation comes to be. Adding to it, Abouheif also said that various human traits like intelligence, height, or vulnerability to diseases exist along a continuum.

"Basically, what we found was a kind of cascading effect. By modifying the methylation of one particular gene, that affects others, in this case the Egfr gene, we could affect all the other genes involved in cellular growth", said Sebastian Alvarado, the McGill PhD who is the co-first author on the study.