1
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Zhang X, Xie N, Ding G, Ning D, Dai W, Xiong Z, Zhong W, Zuo D, Zhao J, Zhang P, Liu C, Li Q, Ran H, Liu W, Zhang G. An evolutionarily conserved pathway mediated by neuroparsin-A regulates reproductive plasticity in ants. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002763. [PMID: 39133741 PMCID: PMC11398701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity displayed by an animal in response to different environmental conditions is supposedly crucial for its survival and reproduction. The female adults of some ant lineages display phenotypic plasticity related to reproductive role. In pharaoh ant queens, insemination induces substantial physiological/behavioral changes and implicates remarkable gene regulatory network (GRN) shift in the brain. Here, we report a neuropeptide neuroparsin A (NPA) showing a conserved expression pattern associated with reproductive activity across ant species. Knock-down of NPA in unmated queen enhances ovary activity, whereas injection of NPA peptide in fertilized queen suppresses ovary activity. We found that NPA mainly affected the downstream gene JHBP in the ovary, which is positively regulated by NPA and suppression of which induces elevated ovary activity, and shadow which is negatively regulated by NPA. Furthermore, we show that NPA was also employed into the brain-ovary axis in regulating the worker reproductive changes in other distantly related species, such as Harpegnathos venator ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiafang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Nianxia Xie
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
| | - Guo Ding
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dongdong Ning
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | | | - Wenjiang Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Dashuang Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengyuan Liu
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiye Li
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao Ran
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
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2
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Finand B, Loeuille N, Bocquet C, Fédérici P, Monnin T. Solitary foundation or colony fission in ants: an intraspecific study shows that worker presence and number increase colony foundation success. Oecologia 2024; 204:517-527. [PMID: 38308676 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05509-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Dispersal and establishment strategies are highly variable. Each strategy is associated with specific costs and benefits, and understanding which factors favour or disfavour a strategy is a key issue in ecology and evolution. Ants exhibit several strategies of establishment, i.e. of colony foundation. Some species rely on winged queens that found new colonies alone when others found with accompanying workers (colony fission). The benefits conferred by these workers have been little studied and quantified, because comparing the costs and benefits of solitary foundation vs. colony fission is difficult when comparing different species. We investigated this using the ant Myrmecina graminicola, one of the few species that use both strategies. Young mated queens were allowed to found new colonies in the laboratory, with either zero (solitarily), two or four workers (colony fission). The presence of workers increased both survival and growth of the foundations over the first year, with more workers yielding higher growth. Few workers (as little as two workers) were sufficient to provide benefits, suggesting that in M. graminicola the strategy of colony fission may not dramatically decrease the number of new colonies produced compared to solitary foundation. Because queens performing solitary foundation or colony fission differ in dispersal (by flight vs. on foot), our results support the hypothesis that these two strategies of foundation coexist along a competition-colonization trade-off, where solitary foundation offers a colonization advantage, while colony fission has a competitive advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Finand
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Céline Bocquet
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Fédérici
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
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3
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Zhuang M, Colgan TJ, Guo Y, Zhang Z, Liu F, Xia Z, Dai X, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wang L, Xu J, Guo Y, Qu Y, Yao J, Yang H, Yang F, Li X, Guo J, Brown MJF, Li J. Unexpected worker mating and colony-founding in a superorganism. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5499. [PMID: 37679330 PMCID: PMC10484907 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41198-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of caste-differentiated colonies, which have been defined as 'superorganisms', in ants, bees, and wasps represents a major transition in evolution. Lifetime mating commitment by queens, pre-imaginal caste determination and lifetime unmatedness of workers are key features of these animal societies. Workers in superorganismal species like honey bees and many ants have consequently lost, or retain only vestigial spermathecal structures. However, bumble bee workers retain complete spermathecae despite 25-40 million years since their origin of superorganismality, which remains an evolutionary mystery. Here, we show (i) that bumble bee workers retain queen-like reproductive traits, being able to mate and produce colonies, underlain by queen-like gene expression, (ii) the social conditions required for worker mating, and (iii) that these abilities may be selected for by early queen-loss in these annual species. These results challenge the idea of lifetime worker unmatedness in superorganisms, and provide an exciting new tool for the conservation of endangered bumble bee species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingsheng Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
- Shanghai Suosheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201700, China
| | - Thomas J Colgan
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yulong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Fugang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongyan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyan Dai
- Shanghai Suosheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201700, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanjian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Liuhao Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Jin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yueqin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yingping Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Huipeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
| | - Jilian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
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4
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Lesne P, Dussutour A, Behmer ST. Effect of queen number on colony-level nutrient regulation, food collection and performance in two polygynous ant species. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 138:104365. [PMID: 35121008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There is growing appreciation for how social interactions influence animal foraging behavior, especially with respect to key nutrients. Ants, given their eusocial nature and ability to be reared and manipulated in the laboratory, offer unique opportunities to explore how social interactions influence nutrient regulation and related processes. At the colony-level, ants simultaneously regulate their protein and carbohydrate intake; a regulation tied to the presence of larvae. However, even though 45% of the approximately 10,000 ant species are polygynous, we know little about the influence of queen number on colony-level foraging behavior and performance. Here we explored the direct effects of queen number on colony-level protein-carbohydrate regulation, food collection, survival, and brood production in two polygynous ant species (Nylanderia fulva and Solenopsis invicta). For both species we conducted choice and no-choice experiments using small experimental colonoids (20 workers) with 0, 1, or 2 queens. Both species regulated their relative intake of protein and carbohydrate around a P1:C2 mark. However, only N. fulva responded to the addition of queens, increasing overall food collection, biasing intake towards carbohydrates, and over-collecting imbalanced foods. N. fulva also exhibited reduced survival and reproduction on protein-biased foods. In contrast, S. invicta showed no response to queen number and reduced food collection on the protein-biased diet while maintaining high survival and reproduction. Our results demonstrate the potential for queens of some ant species to impact colony-level foraging and performance, with interspecific variation likely being shaped by differences in life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Lesne
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Audrey Dussutour
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Spencer T Behmer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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5
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Abstract
Eusociality represents an extreme form of social behavior characterized by a reproductive division of labor. Eusociality necessarily evolved through kin selection, which requires interactions among related individuals. However, many eusocial taxa also show cooperation between non-kin groups, challenging the idea that cooperative actions should only occur among relatives. This review explores the causes and consequences of non-kin cooperation in ants. Ants display a diversity of behaviors that lead to non-kin cooperation within and between species. These interactions occur among both reproductive and non-reproductive individuals. The proximate and ultimate mechanisms leading to non-kin cooperative interactions differ substantially depending on the biotic and abiotic environment. We end this review with directions for future research and suggest that the investigation of non-kin cooperative actions provides insight into processes leading to social evolution.
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6
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Hanna L, Abouheif E. The origin of wing polyphenism in ants: An eco-evo-devo perspective. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 141:279-336. [PMID: 33602491 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eusociality, where solitary individuals integrate into a single colony, is a major transition in individuality. In ants, the origin of eusociality coincided with the origin of a wing polyphenism approximately 160 million years ago, giving rise to colonies with winged queens and wingless workers. As a consequence, both eusociality and wing polyphenism are nearly universal features of all ants. Here, we synthesize fossil, ecological, developmental, and evolutionary data in an attempt to understand the factors that contributed to the origin of wing polyphenism in ants. We propose multiple models and hypotheses to explain how wing polyphenism is orchestrated at multiple levels, from environmental cues to gene networks. Furthermore, we argue that the origin of wing polyphenism enabled the subsequent evolution of morphological diversity across the ants. We finally conclude by outlining several outstanding questions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Hanna
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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7
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Noh P, Oh S, Park S, Kwon T, Kim Y, Choe JC, Jeong G. Association between host wing morphology polymorphism and Wolbachia infection in Vollenhovia emeryi (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8827-8837. [PMID: 32884660 PMCID: PMC7452775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many eusocial insects, including ants, show complex colony structures, distributions, and reproductive strategies. In the ant Vollenhovia emeryi Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae), queens and males are produced clonally, while sterile workers arise sexually, unlike other ant species and Hymenopteran insects in general. Furthermore, there is a wing length polymorphism in the queen caste. Despite its evolutionary remarkable traits, little is known about the population structure of this ant species, which may provide insight into its unique reproductive mode and polymorphic traits. We performed in-depth analyses of ant populations from Korea, Japan, and North America using three mitochondrial genes (COI, COII, and Cytb). The long-winged (L) morph is predominant in Korean populations, and the short-winged (S) morph is very rare. Interestingly, all L morphs were infected with Wolbachia, while all Korean S morphs lacked Wolbachia, demonstrating a association between a symbiont and a phenotypic trait. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the S morph is derived from the L morph. We propose that the S morph is associated with potential resistance to Wolbachia infection and that Wolbachia infection does not influence clonal reproduction (as is the case in other ant species).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pureum Noh
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Present address:
Herbal Medicine Resources Research CenterKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineNajuKorea
| | - Seung‐Yoon Oh
- School of Biological SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Soyeon Park
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreativeThe Graduate SchoolEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Taesung Kwon
- Division of Forest EcologyKorea Forest Research InstituteSeoulKorea
| | - Yonghwan Kim
- Department of PhysicsKonkuk UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Jae Chun Choe
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
| | - Gilsang Jeong
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
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Treanor D, Pamminger T, Hughes WOH. The evolution of caste-biasing symbionts in the social hymenoptera. INSECTES SOCIAUX 2018; 65:513-519. [PMID: 30416203 PMCID: PMC6208631 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-018-0638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The separation of individuals into reproductive and worker castes is the defining feature of insect societies. However, caste determination is itself a complex phenomenon, dependent on interacting genetic and environmental factors. It has been suggested by some authors that widespread maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia may be selected to interfere with caste determination, whilst others have discounted this possibility on theoretical grounds. We argue that there are in fact three distinct evolutionary scenarios in which maternally transmitted symbionts might be selected to influence the process of caste determination in a social hymenopteran host. Each of these scenarios generate testable predictions which we outline here. Given the increasing recognition of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of caste determination in social insects, we argue that maternally transmitted symbionts should also be considered as possible factors influencing the development of social hymenopterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Treanor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
| | - T. Pamminger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
| | - W. O. H. Hughes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
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9
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Schultner E, Oettler J, Helanterä H. The Role of Brood in Eusocial Hymenoptera. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2018; 92:39-78. [PMID: 29558609 DOI: 10.1086/690840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Study of social traits in offspring traditionally reflects on interactions in simple family groups, with famous examples including parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry in birds and mammals. In contrast, studies of complex social groups such as the societies of ants, bees, and wasps focus mainly on adults and, in particular, on traits and interests of queens and workers. The social role of developing individuals in complex societies remains poorly understood. We attempt to fill this gap by illustrating that development in social Hymenoptera constitutes a crucial life stage with important consequences for the individual as well as the colony. We begin by describing the complex social regulatory network that modulates development in Hymenoptera societies. By highlighting the inclusive fitness interests of developing individuals, we show that they may differ from those of other colony members. We then demonstrate that offspring have evolved specialized traits that allow them to play a functional, cooperative role within colonies and give them the potential power to act toward increasing their inclusive fitness. We conclude by providing testable predictions for investigating the role of brood in colony interactions and giving a general outlook on what can be learned from studying offspring traits in hymenopteran societies.
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10
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Katzke J, Barden P, Dehon M, Michez D, Wappler T. Giant ants and their shape: revealing relationships in the genus Titanomyrma with geometric morphometrics. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4242. [PMID: 29362693 PMCID: PMC5774302 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shape is a natural phenomenon inherent to many different lifeforms. A modern technique to analyse shape is geometric morphometrics (GM), which offers a whole range of methods concerning the pure shape of an object. The results from these methods have provided new insights into biological problems and have become especially useful in the fields of entomology and palaeontology. Despite the conspicuous successes in other hymenopteran groups, GM analysis of wings and fossil wings of Formicidae has been neglected. Here we tested if landmarks defining the wing shape of fossil ants that belong to the genus Titanomyrma are reliable and if this technique is able to expose relationships among different groups of the largest Hymenoptera that ever lived. This study comprises 402 wings from 362 ants that were analysed and assigned with the GM methods linear discriminant function analysis, principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis, and regression. The giant ant genus Titanomyrma and the parataxon Formicium have different representatives that are all very similar but these modern methods were able to distinguish giant ant types even to the level of the sex. Thirty-five giant ant specimens from the Eckfeld Maar were significantly differentiable from a collection of Messel specimens that consisted of 187 Titanomyrma gigantea females and 42 T. gigantea males, and from 74 Titanomyrma simillima females and 21 T. simillima males. Out of the 324 Messel ants, 127 are newly assigned to a species and 223 giant ants are newly assigned to sex with GM analysis. All specimens from Messel fit to the two species. Moreover, shape affinities of these groups and the species Formicium brodiei, Formicium mirabile, and Formicium berryi, which are known only from wings, were investigated. T. gigantea stands out with a possible female relative in one of the Eckfeld specimens whereas the other groups show similar shape patterns that are possibly plesiomorphic. Formicidae are one of the most dominant taxa in the animal kingdom and new methods can aid in investigating their diversity in the present and in deep time. GM of the ant wing delivers significant results and this core of methods is able to enhance the toolset we have now to analyse the complex biology of the ants. It can prove as especially useful in the future when incorporated into better understanding aspects of evolutionary patterns and ant palaeontology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Katzke
- Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Manuel Dehon
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, Université de Mons-Hainaut, Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, Université de Mons-Hainaut, Mons, Belgium
| | - Torsten Wappler
- Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Naturgeschichte, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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11
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Population and colony structure and morphometrics in the queen dimorphic little black ant, Monomorium sp. AZ-02, with a review of queen phenotypes in the genus Monomorium. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180595. [PMID: 28715473 PMCID: PMC5513436 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The North American little black ant, Monomorium sp. AZ-02 (subfamily Myrmicinae), displays a dimorphism that consists of alate (winged) and ergatoid (wingless) queens. Surveys at our field site in southcentral Arizona, USA, demonstrated that only one queen phenotype (alate or ergatoid) occurred in each colony during the season in which reproductive sexuals were produced. A morphometric analysis demonstrated that ergatoid queens retained all specialized anatomical features of alate queens (except for wings), and that they were significantly smaller and had a lower mass than alate queens. Using eight morphological characters, a discriminant analysis correctly categorized all queens (40 of 40) of both phenotypes. A molecular phylogeny using 420 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I demonstrated that alate and ergatoid queens are two alternative phenotypes within the species; both phenotypes were intermixed on our phylogeny, and both phenotypes often displayed the same haplotype. A survey of the genus Monomorium (358 species) found that wingless queens (ergatoid queens, brachypterous queens) occur in 42 of 137 species (30.6%) in which the queen has been described. These wingless queen species are geographically and taxonomically widespread as they occur on several continents and in eight species groups, suggesting that winglessness probably arose independently on many occasions in the genus.
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12
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Helms IV JA, Bridge ES. Range expansion drives the evolution of alternate reproductive strategies in invasive fire ants. NEOBIOTA 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.33.10300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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13
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Henshaw JM, Zemel Y. A unified measure of linear and nonlinear selection on quantitative traits. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M. Henshaw
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology The Australian National University 46 Sullivans Creek Road Acton, Canberra ACT 02601 Australia
| | - Yoav Zemel
- Chair of Mathematical Statistics Institute of Mathematics École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Station 8 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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14
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Reproductive and aggressive behaviours of queen–worker intercastes in the ant Mystrium rogeri and caste evolution. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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15
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Pigeault R, Garnier R, Rivero A, Gandon S. Evolution of transgenerational immunity in invertebrates. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.1136. [PMID: 27683366 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over a decade ago, the discovery of transgenerational immunity in invertebrates shifted existing paradigms on the lack of sophistication of their immune system. Nonetheless, the prevalence of this trait and the ecological factors driving its evolution in invertebrates remain poorly understood. Here, we develop a theoretical host-parasite model and predict that long lifespan and low dispersal should promote the evolution of transgenerational immunity. We also predict that in species that produce both philopatric and dispersing individuals, it may pay to have a plastic allocation strategy with a higher transgenerational immunity investment in philopatric offspring because they are more likely to encounter locally adapted pathogens. We review all experimental studies published to date, comprising 21 invertebrate species in nine different orders, and we show that, as expected, longevity and dispersal correlate with the transfer of immunity to offspring. The validity of our prediction regarding the plasticity of investment in transgenerational immunity remains to be tested in invertebrates, but also in vertebrate species. We discuss the implications of our work for the study of the evolution of immunity, and we suggest further avenues of research to expand our knowledge of the impact of transgenerational immune protection in host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Pigeault
- MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS 5290), Montpellier, France
| | - R Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - A Rivero
- MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS 5290), Montpellier, France
| | - S Gandon
- CEFE (UMR CNRS 5175), Montpellier, France
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16
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Wolf JI, Seppä P. Dispersal and mating in a size-dimorphic ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2135-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Abstract
In the Found or Fly (FoF) hypothesis ant queens experience reproduction-dispersal tradeoffs such that queens with heavier abdomens are better at founding colonies but are worse flyers. We tested predictions of FoF in two globally invasive fire ants, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804) and S. invicta (Buren, 1972). Colonies of these species may produce two different monogyne queen types—claustral queens with heavy abdomens that found colonies independently, and parasitic queens with small abdomens that enter conspecific nests. Claustral and parasitic queens were similarly sized, but the abdomens of claustral queens weighed twice as much as those of their parasitic counterparts. Their heavier abdomens adversely impacted morphological predictors of flight ability, resulting in 32–38% lower flight muscle ratios, 55–63% higher wing loading, and 32–33% higher abdomen drag. In lab experiments maximum flight durations in claustral S. invicta queens decreased by about 18 minutes for every milligram of abdomen mass. Combining our results into a simple fitness tradeoff model, we calculated that an average parasitic S. invicta queen could produce only 1/3 as many worker offspring as a claustral queen, but could fly 4 times as long and have a 17- to 36-fold larger potential colonization area. Investigations of dispersal polymorphisms and their associated tradeoffs promises to shed light on range expansions in invasive species, the evolution of alternative reproductive strategies, and the selective forces driving the recurrent evolution of parasitism in ants.
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Cronin AL, Loeuille N, Monnin T. Strategies of offspring investment and dispersal in a spatially structured environment: a theoretical study using ants. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:4. [PMID: 26847456 PMCID: PMC4743417 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Offspring investment strategies vary markedly between and within taxa, and much of this variation is thought to stem from the trade-off between offspring size and number. While producing larger offspring can increase their competitive ability, this often comes at a cost to their colonization ability. This competition–colonization trade-off (CCTO) is thought to be an important mechanism supporting coexistence of alternative strategies in a wide range of taxa. However, the relative importance of an alternative and possibly synergistic mechanism—spatial structuring of the environment—remains the topic of some debate. In this study, we explore the influence of these mechanisms on metacommunity structure using an agent-based model built around variable life-history traits. Our model combines explicit resource competition and spatial dynamics, allowing us to tease-apart the influence of, and explore the interaction between, the CCTO and the spatial structure of the environment. We test our model using two reproductive strategies which represent extremes of the CCTO and are common in ants. Results Our simulations show that colonisers outperform competitors in environments subject to higher temporal and spatial heterogeneity and are favoured when agents mature late and invest heavily in reproduction, whereas competitors dominate in low-disturbance, high resource environments and when maintenance costs are low. Varying life-history parameters has a marked influence on coexistence conditions and yields evolutionary stable strategies for both modes of reproduction. Nonetheless, we show that these strategies can coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameter values, and that coexistence can in most cases be explained by a CCTO. By explicitly considering space, we are also able to demonstrate the importance of the interaction between dispersal and landscape structure. Conclusions The CCTO permits species employing different reproductive strategies to coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameters, and is likely to be an important factor in structuring ant communities. Our consideration of space highlights the importance of dispersal, which can limit the success of low-dispersers through kin competition, and enhance coexistence conditions for different strategies in spatially structured environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8550, Japan.
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
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19
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Londe S, Monnin T, Cornette R, Debat V, Fisher BL, Molet M. Phenotypic plasticity and modularity allow for the production of novel mosaic phenotypes in ants. EvoDevo 2015; 6:36. [PMID: 26629324 PMCID: PMC4666092 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-015-0031-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The origin of discrete novelties remains unclear. Some authors suggest that qualitative phenotypic changes may result from the reorganization of preexisting phenotypic traits during development (i.e., developmental recombination) following genetic or environmental changes. Because ants combine high modularity with extreme phenotypic plasticity (queen and worker castes), their diversified castes could have evolved by developmental recombination. We performed a quantitative morphometric study to investigate the developmental origins of novel phenotypes in the ant Mystrium rogeri, which occasionally produces anomalous 'intercastes.' Our analysis compared the variation of six morphological modules with body size using a large sample of intercastes. RESULTS We confirmed that intercastes are conspicuous mosaics that recombine queen and worker modules. In addition, we found that many other individuals traditionally classified as workers or queens also exhibit some level of mosaicism. The six modules had distinct profiles of variation suggesting that each module responds differentially to factors that control body size and polyphenism. Mosaicism appears to result from each module responding differently yet in an ordered and predictable manner to intermediate levels of inducing factors that control polyphenism. The order of module response determines which mosaic combinations are produced. CONCLUSIONS Because the frequency of mosaics and their canalization around a particular phenotype may evolve by selection on standing genetic variation that affects the plastic response (i.e., genetic accommodation), developmental recombination is likely to play an important role in the evolution of novel castes in ants. Indeed, we found that most mosaics have queen-like head and gaster but a worker-like thorax congruent with the morphology of ergatoid queens and soldiers, respectively. Ergatoid queens of M. oberthueri, a sister species of M. rogeri, could have evolved from intercastes produced ancestrally through such a process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Londe
- />UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252 Paris, France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- />UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252 Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- />Département Systématique et Évolution, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle; CNRS UMR 7205, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Debat
- />Département Systématique et Évolution, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle; CNRS UMR 7205, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Paris, France
| | - Brian L. Fisher
- />Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA
| | - Mathieu Molet
- />UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252 Paris, France
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Schär S, Nash DR. Evidence that microgynes of Myrmica rubra
ants are social parasites that attack old host colonies. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2396-407. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Schär
- Centre for Social Evolution; Department of Biology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Ø Denmark
| | - D. R. Nash
- Centre for Social Evolution; Department of Biology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Ø Denmark
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21
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Sarnat EM, Economo EP. Pristomyrmex tsujii sp. n. and P. mandibularis Mann (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Fiji. Zookeys 2013:43-61. [PMID: 24146591 PMCID: PMC3800798 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.340.5479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pristomyrmex tsujiisp. n., an endemic species of the Fiji islands, is described from the worker, ergatoid queen, alate queen and male castes. The alate queen and male castes of Pristomyrmex mandibularis Mann are also described for the first time. The ergatoid queens for both species appear to be morphologically intermediate between the worker and alate queen castes. Pristomyrmex tsujii is readily distinguished from Pristomyrmex mandibularis by the lack of well-developed propodeal spines. Although both species occur across the Fijian archipelago, they are rarely encountered and workers are most often collected from sifted litter. The descriptions are illustrated with specimen photographs, line drawings and a distribution map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli M Sarnat
- Antwork Consulting, P.O. Box 563 Happy Camp, CA 96039 USA
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22
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Jowers MJ, Leniaud L, Cerdá X, Alasaad S, Caut S, Amor F, Aron S, Boulay RR. Social and population structure in the ant Cataglyphis emmae. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72941. [PMID: 24039827 PMCID: PMC3767659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal has consequences not only for individual fitness, but also for population dynamics, population genetics and species distribution. Social Hymenoptera show two contrasting colony reproductive strategies, dependent and independent colony foundation modes, and these are often associated to the population structures derived from inter and intra-population gene flow processes conditioned by alternative dispersal strategies. Here we employ microsatellite and mitochondrial markers to investigate the population and social genetic structure and dispersal patterns in the ant Cataglyphis emmae at both, local and regional scales. We find that C. emmae is monogynous and polyandrous. Lack of detection of any population viscosity and population structure with nuclear markers at the local scale suggests efficient dispersal, in agreement with a lack of inbreeding. Contrasting demographic differences before and during the mating seasons suggest that C. emmae workers raise sexuals in peripheric nest chambers to reduce intracolonial conflicts. The high genetic differentiation recovered from the mtDNA haplotypes, together with the significant correlation of such to geographic distance, and presence of new nuclear alleles between areas (valleys) suggest long-term historical isolation between these regions, indicative of limited dispersal at the regional scale. Our findings on the ecological, social and population structure of this species increases our understanding of the patterns and processes involved under independent colony foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Jowers
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
- Departmento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Laurianne Leniaud
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Samer Alasaad
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Stephane Caut
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Amor
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Serge Aron
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Raphaël R. Boulay
- Departmento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- IRBI, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France
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23
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Kureck IM, Nicolai B, Foitzik S. Similar Performance of Diploid and Haploid Males in an Ant Species without Inbreeding Avoidance. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilka M. Kureck
- Department Biology; Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; Mainz; Germany
| | - Beate Nicolai
- Department Biology; Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; Mainz; Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Department Biology; Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; Mainz; Germany
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Cronin AL, Molet M, Doums C, Monnin T, Peeters C. Recurrent evolution of dependent colony foundation across eusocial insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 58:37-55. [PMID: 22934981 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The spectacular success of eusocial insects can be attributed to their sophisticated cooperation, yet cooperation is conspicuously absent during colony foundation when queens are alone. Selection against this solitary stage has led to a dramatically different strategy in thousands of eusocial insect species in which colonies are started by groups of nestmates and the benefits of sociality are retained continuously. Dependent colony foundation (DCF) evolved recurrently multiple times across the ants, bees, and wasps, though its prevalence in termites remains unclear. We review adaptations at both the colony level (reproductive investment shifts from sexuals to workers) and the individual level (wingless queens evolve in ants), and other consequences for life history (invasiveness, parasite transmission). Although few studies have focused on DCF, the accumulated data from anecdotal reports, supported by indirect information including morphology, population genetics, and colony demographics, make it clear that this strategy is more diverse and widespread than is usually recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- Laboratoire Écologie & Évolution CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75 005 Paris, France.
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25
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Lenoir JC, Lachaud JP, Nettel A, Fresneau D, Poteaux C. The role of microgynes in the reproductive strategy of the neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:347-56. [PMID: 21380620 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0774-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Revised: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 02/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Miniaturized queens, microgynes, are regarded as an alternative reproductive strategy sparsely present through the ant world. The described roles of miniaturized queens include alternative short-distance dispersal morphs, an adaptation to polygyny and inquiline parasites. Some of these inquiline parasite microgynes have been described as a separate species from their host. In the poneromorph group, miniaturized queens are only reported in two Mexican populations of two Ectatomminae: Ectatomma tuberculatum, in which small queens represent an inquiline species (Ectatomma parasiticum) and Ectatomma ruidum. E. ruidum presents apparently facultative polygyny with microgynes. We used mitochondrial DNA markers and newly developed microsatellite loci to investigate the status as well as the role of microgynes in E. ruidum. We confirmed that microgynes and macrogynes are from the same species. This species is almost exclusively monogynous and monoandrous, supernumerary dealate queens of both types being actually daughters of the mother queen. An apparently polygynous nest was more often headed by a macrogyne than a microgyne. We didn't find any inbreeding or isolation by distance in the studied population, indicating that new gynes are inseminated by unrelated males and can establish a new nest far from their natal nest. However, re-adoption of daughter queens seems to be the rule and rate of microgyny appears to be linked to nest density and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Lenoir
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, EA 4443, Université Paris-Nord, UFR L.S.H.S, Villetaneuse, France.
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26
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Oettler J, Suefuji M, Heinze J. THE EVOLUTION OF ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS IN MALE CARDIOCONDYLA ANTS. Evolution 2010; 64:3310-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01090.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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27
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Alternative reproductive tactics and the impact of local competition on sex ratios in the ant Hypoponera opacior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0977-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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28
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Couvillon MJ, Hughes WO, Perez-Sato JA, Martin SJ, Roy GG, Ratnieks FL. Sexual selection in honey bees: colony variation and the importance of size in male mating success. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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MOLET MATHIEU, FISHER BRIANL, ITO FUMINORI, PEETERS CHRISTIAN. Shift from independent to dependent colony foundation and evolution of ‘multi-purpose’ ergatoid queens in Mystrium ants (subfamily Amblyoponinae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01257.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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30
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SCHLÜNS E, WEGENER B, SCHLÜNS H, AZUMA N, ROBSON SKA, CROZIER RH. Breeding system, colony and population structure in the weaver antOecophylla smaragdina. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:156-67. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.04020.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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31
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Molet M, Baalen M, Peeters C. Shift in Colonial Reproductive Strategy Associated with a Tropical‐Temperate Gradient in Rhytidoponera Ants. Am Nat 2008; 172:75-87. [DOI: 10.1086/588079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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32
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Holbrook CT, Strehl CP, Johnson RA, Gadau J. Low queen mating frequency in the seed-harvester ant Pogonomyrmex (Ephebomyrmex) pima: implications for the evolution of polyandry. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0457-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Howard KJ, Kennedy D. Alternative mating behaviors of the queen polymorphic ant Temnothorax longispinosus. Naturwissenschaften 2007; 94:945-50. [PMID: 17653686 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-007-0281-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2007] [Revised: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 06/25/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mating behaviors of ants fall into two categories: female calling, in which a female alate releases pheromones that attract males, and male swarming, in which large male aggregations attract females. Female calling is common in species with queens that return to their natal nest to found colonies dependently after mating, while male swarming is common in species with queens that disperse to found independently. In some species that display both founding strategies, a queen-size polymorphism has evolved in which dependent-founding queens are smaller than independent-founding queens. Dependent founding is likely difficult if gynes (virgin queens) are mating in distant swarms. Therefore, a queen may adopt one or the other mating strategy based on its size and founding behavior. We investigated mating behaviors in the queen-polymorphic ant, Temnothorax longispinosus. Observations in laboratory mating arenas indicated that small gynes exhibited significantly lower flight activity than large gynes. Both forms mated in male swarms, and neither form exhibited female calling. The reduced flight activity of the small morph may facilitate returning to the natal nest after mating, provided the mating swarm is located nearby. Therefore, alternative colony-founding behaviors may be possible without the evolution of female-calling behavior; however, the reduced flight activity of small morphs may require that mating swarms are not distant from the natal nest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J Howard
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Sciences, College Park, MD 20770, USA.
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34
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Gunnels CW. Seasonally Variable Eusocially Selected Traits in the Paper Wasp, Mischocyttarus mexicanus. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01358.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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35
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SCHLICK-STEINER BIRGITC, STEINER FLORIANM, SANETRA MATTHIAS, SEIFERT BERNHARD, CHRISTIAN ERHARD, STAUFFER CHRISTIAN. Lineage specific evolution of an alternative social strategy in Tetramorium ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00798.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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36
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Nakamaru M, Beppu Y, Tsuji K. Does disturbance favor dispersal? An analysis of ant migration using the colony-based lattice model. J Theor Biol 2007; 248:288-300. [PMID: 17583750 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2007] [Revised: 05/02/2007] [Accepted: 05/02/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spatially explicit models that simulate the evolution of dispersal strategies have not considered colonial organisms. Here we develop the colony-based lattice model, in which a colony, rather than an individual, occupies each lattice site. With this model we investigate why invasive tramp ant species usually lack long-distance dispersal, despite living in frequently disturbed habitats. We assume a new trade-off between the dispersal distance and the offspring colony size in the competition between two extreme strategies: the short-distance dispersal strategy (the S strategy, simulating budding or fission), which splits a colony in half with one of the two halves moving to a neighboring site, and the long-distance dispersal strategy (the L strategy, assuming colony-founding by winged queens), which allocates a minimal resource to an offspring colony that disperses to a randomly chosen site. Mortality of a colony is assumed to depend on the size; the L strategy suffers from costs due to small initial colony size (i.e., high mortality and late colony maturity). Disturbance causes additional mortality to both types of colonies and is controlled by disturbance frequency, p, and a stochastic parameter determining the spatial autocorrelation of disturbance, q. Simulations show that the S strategy is favored under frequent but spatially small-scale disturbances (high p and low q), whereas large-scale disturbances (low p and high q) favor the L strategy. When mortality is generally high or particularly high in small colonies, the S strategy tends to be advantageous. In contrast, when colony mortality is generally low, the L strategy is favored. We discuss the importance of colony size dynamics and the trade-off between colony size and the dispersal distance in the evolution of dispersal strategies in ants and other more or less sessile organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuko Nakamaru
- Department of Value and Decision Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan.
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37
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Abstract
The number of queens per colony is of fundamental importance in the life history of social insects. Multiple queening (polygyny), with dependent colony founding by budding, has repeatedly evolved from ancestral single queening (monogyny) and independent founding by solitary queens in waSPS, bees and ants. By contrast, the reversal to monogyny appears to be rare, as polygynous queens often lack morphological adaptations necessary for dispersal and independent colony founding. In the ant genus Cardiocondyla, monogynous species evolved from polygynous ancestors. Here, we show that queens of monogynous species found their colonies independently, albeit in an unusual way: they mate in the maternal nest, disperse on foot and forage during the founding phase. This reversal appears to be associated with the occurrence of a wing polymorphism, which reflects a trade-off between reproduction and dispersal. Moreover, queens of monogynous species live considerably longer than queens in related polygynous taxa, suggesting that queen life span is a plastic trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Schrempf
- Lehrstuhl Biologie I, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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38
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Abstract
Interspecific mating in eusocial Hymenoptera can be favored under certain conditions even if all hybrid offspring are completely infertile. This exploits two key features of the eusocial Hymenoptera: a haplodiploid genetic system and reproductive division of labor in females. Interspecifically mated queens can still produce viable sons that will mate intraspecifically. Apparent reduced fitness resulting from producing infertile daughter gynes can be also offset by advantages conferred by hybrid workers. An important advantage is likely to be superior ability at using marginal habitats. Interspecifically mated queens can nest in sites where intraspecific competition will be low. By mating interspecifically, a queen trades expected reproductive success through female offspring for a higher probability of achieving some reproductive success. Females that mate interspecifically can be considered "sperm parasites" on the males of the other species. I provide evidence that sperm parasitism is responsible for widespread hybridization in North America among two species of the ant subgenus Acanthomyops (genus Lasius), and review evidence for sperm parasitism in other hybridization phenomena in ants. Sperm parasitism in ants represents a novel form of social parasitism in ants and a dispersal polymorphism. It may also act as a precursor to the evolution of some other recently discovered phenomena, such as genetic caste determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary J Umphrey
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada.
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39
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Brandt M, Foitzik S, Fischer-Blass B, Heinze J. The coevolutionary dynamics of obligate ant social parasite systems--between prudence and antagonism. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2005; 80:251-67. [PMID: 15921051 DOI: 10.1017/s1464793104006669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this synthesis we apply coevolutionary models to the interactions between socially parasitic ants and their hosts. Obligate social parasite systems are ideal models for coevolution, because the close phylogenetic relationship between these parasites and their hosts results in similar evolutionary potentials, thus making mutual adaptations in a stepwise fashion especially likely to occur. The evolutionary dynamics of host-parasite interactions are influenced by a number of parameters, for example the parasite's transmission mode and rate, the genetic structure of host and parasite populations, the antagonists' migration rates, and the degree of mutual specialisation. For the three types of obligate ant social parasites, queen-tolerant and queen-intolerant inquilines and slavemakers, several of these parameters, and thus the evolutionary trajectory, are likely to differ. Because of the fundamental differences in lifestyle between these social parasite systems, coevolution should further select for different traits in the parasites and their hosts. Queen-tolerant inquilines are true parasites that exert a low selection pressure on their host, because of their rarity and the fact that they do not conduct slave raids to replenish their labour force. Due to their high degree of specialisation and the potential for vertical transmission, coevolutionary theory would predict interactions between these workerless parasites and their hosts to become even more benign over time. Queen-intolerant inquilines that kill the host queen during colony take-over are best described as parasitoids, and their reproductive success is limited by the existing worker force of the invaded host nest. These parasites should therefore evolve strategies to best exploit this fixed resource. Slavemaking ants, by contrast, act as parasites only during colony foundation, while their frequent slave raids follow a predator prey dynamic. They often exploit a number of host species at a given site, and theory predicts that their associations are best described in terms of a highly antagonistic coevolutionary arms race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Brandt
- LS Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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40
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Schrempf A, Reber C, Tinaut A, Heinze J. Inbreeding and local mate competition in the ant Cardiocondyla batesii. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-004-0869-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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41
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Sanetra M, Crozier RH. Patterns of population subdivision and gene flow in the ant Nothomyrmecia macrops reflected in microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers. Mol Ecol 2003; 12:2281-95. [PMID: 12919468 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01900.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Australian endemic ant Nothomyrmecia macrops is renowned for having retained a large proportion of 'primitive' morphological and behavioural characters. Another less studied peculiarity of this species is the production of short-winged (brachypterous) female sexuals, which presumably are poor dispersers. The males, in contrast, bear a full set of normally developed wings and thus may disperse widely. We investigated patterns of genetic differentiation within and among three distantly separated populations in South Australia using nine polymorphic microsatellite loci and four regions of mitochondrial DNA (COI, COII, Cytb, lrRNA). We sampled eight subpopulations, one in the Lake Gilles CP, two near Penong and five around Poochera where distances ranged from 360 km to sites separated by 2-10 km. Only little differentiation was found at the local scale (within the assumed dispersal distance of males) using nuclear markers, whereas the three distant locations were moderately differentiated (FST = 0.06). Mitochondrial DNA genetic structure was much more pronounced on all scales (phiST = 0.98), with regular differences in both haplotype composition and frequency even occurring among closely located sites. This lack of congruence between nuclear and mitochondrial markers strongly suggests limited female dispersal and male-biased gene flow among populations. As to the conservation status of the species there is no evidence for severe population reductions in the recent past, which would have left populations genetically depauperate.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sanetra
- Department of Zoology and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
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42
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Rüppell O, Strätz M, Baier B, Heinze J. Mitochondrial markers in the ant Leptothorax rugatulus reveal the population genetic consequences of female philopatry at different hierarchical levels. Mol Ecol 2003; 12:795-801. [PMID: 12675834 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01769.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Leptothorax rugatulus, an abundant North American ant, displays a conspicuous queen size polymorphism that is related to alternative reproductive tactics. Large queens participate mainly in mating flights and found new colonies independent of their mother colony. In contrast, small queens do not found new colonies independently, but seek readoption into their natal nest which results in multiple-queen colonies (polygyny). Populations differ strongly in the ratio of small to large queens, the prevalent reproductive tactic and colony social structure, according to ecological parameters such as nest site stability and population density. This study compares the genetic structure of two strongly differing populations within the same mountain range. Data from microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA give no evidence for alien reproductives in polygynous colonies. The incidence of alien workers in colonies (as determined by mitochondrial haplotype) was low and did not differ between monogynous and polygynous colonies. We found significant population viscosity (isolation-by-distance) at the mitochondrial level in only the predominantly polygynous population, which supports the theoretical prediction that female philopatry leads to mtDNA-specific population structure. Nuclear and mitochondrial genetic diversity was similar in both populations. The genetic differentiation between the two investigated populations was moderate at the mitochondrial level, but not significantly different from zero when measured with microsatellites, which corroborates limited dispersal of females (but not males) at a larger scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Rüppell
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
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43
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Cremer S, Heinze J. Stress grows wings: environmental induction of winged dispersal males in Cardiocondyla ants. Curr Biol 2003; 13:219-23. [PMID: 12573217 DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00012-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is advantageous, but, at the same time, it implies high costs and risks. Due to these counteracting selection pressures, many species evolved dispersal polymorphisms, which, in ants, are typically restricted to the female sex (queens). Male polymorphism is presently only known from a few genera, such as Cardiocondyla, in which winged dispersing males coexist with wingless fighter males that mate exclusively inside their maternal nests. We studied the developmental mechanisms underlying these alternative male morphs and found that, first, male dimorphism is not genetically determined, but is induced by environmental conditions (decreasing temperature and density). Second, male morph is not yet fixed at the egg stage, but it differentiates during larval development. This flexible developmental pattern of male morphs allows Cardiocondyla ant colonies to react quickly to changes in their environment. Under good conditions, they invest exclusively in philopatric wingless males. But, when environmental conditions turn bad, colonies start to produce winged dispersal males, even though these males require a many times higher investment by the colony than their much smaller wingless counterparts. Cardiocondyla ants share this potential of optimal resource allocation with other colonial animals and some seed dimorphic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Cremer
- Biology 1, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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44
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A comparison of the colony-founding potential of queens from single- and multiple-queen colonies of the fire antSolenopsis invicta. Anim Behav 2002. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2002.3095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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45
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Foitzik S, Heinze J, Oberstadt B, Herbers JM. Mate guarding and alternative reproductive tactics in the ant Hypoponera opacior. Anim Behav 2002. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2001.1945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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46
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Cremer S, Heinze J. Adaptive production of fighter males: queens of the ant Cardiocondyla adjust the sex ratio under local mate competition. Proc Biol Sci 2002; 269:417-22. [PMID: 11886631 PMCID: PMC1690910 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hamilton's concept of local mate competition (LMC) is the standard model to explain female-biased sex ratios in solitary Hymenoptera. In social Hymenoptera, however, LMC has remained controversial, mainly because manipulation of sex allocation by workers in response to relatedness asymmetries is an additional powerful mechanism of female bias. Furthermore, the predominant mating systems in the social insects are thought to make LMC unlikely. Nevertheless, several species exist in which dispersal of males is limited and mating occurs in the nest. Some of these species, such as the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, have evolved dimorphic males, with one morph being specialized for dispersal and the other for fighting with nest-mate males over access to females. Such life history, combining sociality and alternative reproductive tactics in males, provides a unique opportunity to test the power of LMC as a selective force leading to female-biased sex ratios in social Hymenoptera. We show that, in concordance with LMC predictions, an experimental increase in queen number leads to a shift in sex allocation in favour of non-dispersing males, but does not influence the proportion of disperser males. Furthermore, we can assign this change in sex allocation at the colony level to the queens and rule out worker manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Cremer
- Biology 1, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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47
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Nielsen MG. Distribution of the ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) fauna in the canopy of the mangrove treeSonneratia albaJ. Smith in northern Australia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-6055.2000.00192.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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48
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Diehl E, de Araújjo AM, Cavalli-Molina S. Genetic variability and social structure of Colonies in Acromyrmex heyeri and A. striatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). BRAZ J BIOL 2001; 61:667-78. [PMID: 12071324 DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842001000400017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The breeding structure of both colony and population of social insects can be examined by genetic analysis. Colonies of the leaf-cutting ants Acromyrmex heyeri and A. striatus (Myrmicinae, Attini) were thus analyzed for isoenzyme systems MDH, a-GPDH, and AMY to describe genotype variability and social structure. A total of five loci were investigated (three for amylase and one for each other system). Ninety-seven colonies of A. heyeri and 103 of A. striatus were sampled in different localities in Southern Brazil (State of Rio Grande do Sul). The genotypes found show the occurrence of monogyny and polygyny associated or not with polyandry, which indicates that the social organization is colony-specific. The polygyny and polyandry observed are likely to be responsible for the great genotypic diversity of the colonies. The average inbreeding coefficient per colony was higher in A. striatus than in A. heyeri, which may reflect the different patterns of production of sexual individuals and nuptial flight of those two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Diehl
- Laboratório de Genética, Setor de Insetos Sociais, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.
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49
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Rüppell O, Heinze J, Hölldobler B. Complex determination of queen body size in the queen size dimorphic ant Leptothorax rugatulus (Formicidae: Hymenoptera). Heredity (Edinb) 2001; 87:33-40. [PMID: 11678985 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2540.2001.00904.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to understand the evolution of natural variability, and polymorphisms in particular, it is essential to study proximate causes. Our study is the first work on ants to determine formally the heritability of quantitative traits in a quantitative genetic framework. We investigated the causes of queen size dimorphism of the ant Leptothorax rugatulus and derive from the results a possible scenario for its evolutionary maintenance. Mother size was highly predictive of daughter size in field colonies. This finding could be repeated under constant laboratory conditions. Data suggested that maternal effects via egg size are not the cause for the transmission of body size. In colonies with coexisting large and small mother queens, daughter size did not correlate with mother size, and in an additional experiment we found a negative effect of queen number on daughter size. The integration of these various results suggests a high transmissibility of body size from generation to generation. However, social (queen) influences also affect daughter size, especially in the case of mixed colonies. This complex determination fits well with an adaptive adjustment of queen size to alternative reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Rüppell
- Zoologie II, Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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50
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Abstract
Molecular genetic studies of group kin composition and local genetic structure in social organisms are becoming increasingly common. A conceptual and mathematical framework that links attributes of the breeding system to group composition and genetic structure is presented here, and recent empirical studies are reviewed in the context of this framework. Breeding system properties, including the number of breeders in a social group, their genetic relatedness, and skew in their parentage, determine group composition and the distribution of genetic variation within and between social units. This group genetic structure in turn influences the opportunities for conflict and cooperation to evolve within groups and for selection to occur among groups or clusters of groups. Thus, molecular studies of social groups provide the starting point for analyses of the selective forces involved in social evolution, as well as for analyses of other fundamental evolutionary problems related to sex allocation, reproductive skew, life history evolution, and the nature of selection in hierarchically structured populations. The framework presented here provides a standard system for interpreting and integrating genetic and natural history data from social organisms for application to a broad range of evolutionary questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K G Ross
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2603, USA.
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