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Zink AG, Miller JS. Queen-Worker Conflict over Acceptance of Secondary Queens in Eusocial Insects. Am Nat 2024; 203:139-146. [PMID: 38207139 DOI: 10.1086/727650] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractThe coexistence of multiple reproductives in eusocial insects is widespread, yet the decisions leading to additional queen acceptance are not well understood. Unlike in vertebrates, acceptance decisions are likely controlled by the more numerous helper population rather than the parent reproductive. Yet there are likely to be queen-worker differences in acceptance criteria because workers and queens differ in their relatedness to a secondary queen. We develop a model that examines queen-worker conflict in two scenarios: accepting a queen's sister or daughter. We additionally ask how the mating frequency and split sex ratios affect the outcomes of these conflicts. Our results reveal that conflict over queen acceptance is highest in monandrous mating systems. We identify a "window of conflict" in which a queen is selected to accept her sister but her workers do not. Our result, that polyandry neutralizes conflict over acceptance thresholds, suggests that conflict suppression may be an additional contributor to the maintenance of polyandrous mating systems.
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2
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da Silva J. The kin selection theory of genomic imprinting and modes of reproduction in the eusocial Hymenoptera. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:677-695. [PMID: 36457233 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12925] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting is known from flowering plants and mammals but has not been confirmed for the Hymenoptera even though the eusocial Hymenoptera are prime candidates for this peculiar form of gene expression. Here, the kin selection theory of genomic imprinting is reviewed and applied to the eusocial Hymenoptera. The evidence for imprinting in eusocial Hymenoptera with the typical mode of reproduction, involving the sexual production of diploid female offspring, which develop into workers or gynes, and the arrhenotokous parthenogenesis of haploid males, is also reviewed briefly. However, the focus of this review is how atypical modes of reproduction, involving thelytokous parthenogenesis, hybridisation and androgenesis, may also select for imprinting. In particular, naturally occurring hybridisation in several genera of ants may provide useful tests of the role of kin selection in the evolution of imprinting. Hybridisation is expected to disrupt the coadaptation of antagonistically imprinted loci, and thus affect the phenotypes of hybrids. Some of the limited data available on hybrid worker reproduction and on colony sex ratios support predictions about patterns of imprinting derived from kin selection theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack da Silva
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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3
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Schultner E, Wallner T, Dofka B, Brülhart J, Heinze J, Freitak D, Pokorny T, Oettler J. Queens control caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221784. [PMID: 36750190 PMCID: PMC9904955 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Social insect queens and workers can engage in conflict over reproductive allocation when they have different fitness optima. Here, we show that queens have control over queen-worker caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, a species in which workers lack reproductive organs. We describe crystalline deposits that distinguish castes from the egg stage onwards, providing the first report of a discrete trait that can be used to identify ant caste throughout pre-imaginal development. The comparison of queen and worker-destined eggs and larvae revealed size and weight differences in late development, but no discernible differences in traits that may be used in social interactions, including hair morphology and cuticular odours. In line with a lack of caste-specific traits, adult workers treated developing queens and workers indiscriminately. Together with previous studies demonstrating queen control over sex allocation, these results show that queens control reproductive allocation in C. obscurior and suggest that the fitness interests of colony members are aligned to optimize resource allocation in this ant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Schultner
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Wallner
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Dofka
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jeanne Brülhart
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dalial Freitak
- Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jan Oettler
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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4
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OUP accepted manuscript. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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5
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Scarparo G, Sankovitz M, Loope KJ, Wilson‐Rankin E, Purcell J. Early queen joining and long-term queen associations in polygyne colonies of an invasive wasp revealed by longitudinal genetic analysis. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2901-2914. [PMID: 34950236 PMCID: PMC8674895 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive social insects rank among the most damaging of terrestrial species. They are responsible for extensive damage and severely threaten the biodiversity of environments where they are introduced. Variation in colony social form commonly occurs in introduced populations of yellowjacket wasps (genus Vespula). In particular, invasive colonies may contain multiple queens (i.e., polygyne) and persist several years, while in the native range, the colonies are usually annual and harbor a single queen (i.e., monogyne). In this study, we used genome-wide loci obtained by double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to investigate the genetic structure and queen turnover in colonies of the western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, in their introduced range in Hawaii. Of the 27 colonies monitored over four months (October-January), 19 were polygyne and already contained multiple queens on the first day of sampling. Contrary to previous speculation, this finding suggests that polygyny often arises early in the annual colony cycle, before the production of new queens in the fall. Furthermore, polygyne colonies exhibited a prolonged average lifespan relative to those headed by a single queen. As a result, there is no clear window during which colony eradication efforts would be more effective than upon first discovery. The relatedness among nestmate queens was slightly above zero, indicating that these colonies are generally composed of nonrelatives. The queen turnover within each colony was low, and we detected some full-sibling workers sampled up to four months apart. Finally, we did not detect any population structure among colonies, suggesting that queens disperse up to several kilometers. Taken together, our results provide the first insights into the requeening dynamics in this invasive and incipiently polygyne population and illuminate the early establishment of multiple long-lasting queens in these damaging colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Scarparo
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of California RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Madison Sankovitz
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of California RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kevin J. Loope
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of California RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife ConservationVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | - Erin Wilson‐Rankin
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of California RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jessica Purcell
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of California RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
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6
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Blacher P, De Gasperin O, Chapuisat M. Cooperation by ant queens during colony-founding perpetuates alternative forms of social organization. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:165. [PMID: 35035032 PMCID: PMC8718384 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03105-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Key social traits, like queen number in eusocial insect colonies, have long been considered plastic, but the recent finding that colony social organization is under strict genetic control in multiple ant lineages challenges this view. This begs the question of which hardwired behavioral mechanism(s) generate alternative forms of social organization during colony development. We addressed this question in the Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi, a species with two social forms determined by a supergene. Queens that carry exclusively the M haplotype are produced by and live in monogyne (= single-queen) colonies, whereas queens that carry at least one copy of the P haplotype are produced by and live in polygyne (= multiple-queen) colonies. With extensive field samplings and laboratory experiments, we show that both types of queens successfully establish colonies independently, without being accompanied by workers, but that they do so in contrasting ways. Monogyne queens were generally intolerant of other queens and founded colonies solitarily, whereas polygyne queens were mutually attracted to each other and mainly founded colonies cooperatively. These associations persisted for months after worker emergence, suggesting that cooperative colony-founding leads to permanent multiple queening. Overall, our study shows that queens of each social form found colonies independently in the field but that P-carrying queens are more likely to cooperate, thereby contributing to perpetuate alternative forms of social organization. Significance statement Understanding the genetic and behavioral underpinnings of social organization is a major goal in evolutionary biology. Recent studies have shown that colony social organization is controlled by supergenes in multiple ant lineages. But the behavioral processes linking the genotype of a queen to the type of colony she will form remain largely unknown. Here, we show that in Alpine silver ants, alternative supergene genotypes are associated with different levels of social attraction and tolerance in young queens. These hardwired differences in social traits make queens carrying the P supergene haplotype more prone to cooperate and form durable associations during independent colony-founding. These findings help explain how genetic variants induce alternative forms of social organization during the ontogeny of a colony. They also illustrate how simple phenotypic differences at the individual level can result in large differences at higher levels of organization. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-021-03105-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Blacher
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ornela De Gasperin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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7
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Kjeldgaard MK, Eyer PA, McMichael CC, Bockoven AA, King JT, Hyodo A, Boutton TW, Vargo EL, Eubanks MD. Distinct colony boundaries and larval discrimination in polygyne red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1007-1020. [PMID: 34747530 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating the factors that promote invasive ant abundance is critical to assess their ecological impact and inform their management. Many invasive ant species show reduced nestmate recognition and an absence of boundaries between unrelated nests, which allow populations to achieve greater densities due to reduced intraspecific competition. We examined nestmate discrimination and colony boundaries in introduced populations of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta; hereafter, fire ant). Fire ants occur in two social forms: monogyne (colonies with a single egg-laying queen) and polygyne (colonies with multiple egg-laying queens). In contrast with monogyne nests, polygyne nests are thought to be interconnected due to the reduced antagonism between non-nestmate polygyne workers, perhaps because polygyne workers habituate the colony to an odour unique to Gp-9b -carrying adults. However, colony boundaries and nestmate discrimination are poorly documented, particularly for worker-brood interactions. To delimit boundaries between field colonies, we correlated the exchange of a 15 N-glycine tracer dissolved in a sucrose solution with social form. We also evaluated nestmate discrimination between polygyne workers and larvae in the laboratory. Counter to our expectations, polygyne colonies behaved identically to monogyne colonies, suggesting both social forms maintain strict colony boundaries. Polygyne workers also preferentially fed larval nestmates and may have selectively cannibalized non-nestmates. The levels of relatedness among workers in polygyne colonies was higher than those previously reported in North America (mean ± standard error: 0.269 ± 0.037). Our study highlights the importance of combining genetic analyses with direct quantification of resource exchange to better understand the factors influencing ant invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Collin C McMichael
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Alison A Bockoven
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Joanie T King
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ayumi Hyodo
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Thomas W Boutton
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Micky D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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8
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Wylie R, Oakey J, Williams ER. Alleles and algorithms: The role of genetic analyses and remote sensing technology in an ant eradication program. NEOBIOTA 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.66.64523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Eradication programs for invasive ants are often hampered by a lack of effective tools to detect, contain and kill the pests. Among the range of tools employed in the course of a 20-year eradication program for red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in Australia, two of the most crucial for success are genetic analysis at both individual colony and population scales, and remote sensing for the detection of S. invicta mounds over large areas. Several genetic analyses are used by the program as an everyday operational tool to guide the eradication effort; for example, genotyping of the social form determines where and how far we need to search and treat, whereas nest relatedness derived from microsatellites aids in deciding when and where to target investigations into human-assisted movement of the pest. Microsatellite genotyping can determine the origin of new invasions into the country and has been used to verify the eradication of six distinct incursions of S. invicta in Australia, as well as demonstrating the pressure being exerted on the remaining Queensland population by the current eradication activities. Remote sensing played a key role in delimiting the extent of the S. invicta infestation in southeast Queensland in 2015, and in the future will assist in both delimitation and in verifying eradication of this ant in treatment areas as part of the proof of freedom process. Unquestionably, without these tools, the battle to eradicate S. invicta from Australia would be severely constrained, if not lost. These technologies may be applicable in management or eradication programs for S. invicta worldwide, and potentially for other invasive ant species.
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9
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Reznikova Z. Ants’ Personality and Its Dependence on Foraging Styles: Research Perspectives. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.661066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper is devoted to analyzing consistent individual differences in behavior, also known as “personalities,” in the context of a vital ant task—the detection and transportation of food. I am trying to elucidate the extent to which collective cognition is individual-based and whether a single individual’s actions can suffice to direct the entire colony or colony units. The review analyzes personalities in various insects with different life cycles and provides new insights into the role of individuals in directing group actions in ants. Although it is widely accepted that, in eusocial insects, colony personality emerges from the workers’ personalities, there are only a few examples of investigations of personality at the individual level. The central question of the review is how the distribution of behavioral types and cognitive responsibilities within ant colonies depends on a species’ foraging style. In the context of how workers’ behavioral traits display during foraging, a crucial question is what makes an ant a scout that discovers a new food source and mobilizes its nestmates. In mass recruiting, tandem-running, and even in group-recruiting species displaying leadership, the division of labor between scouts and recruits appears to be ephemeral. There is only little, if any, evidence of ants’ careers and behavioral consistency as leaders. Personal traits characterize groups of individuals at the colony level but not performers of functional roles during foraging. The leader-scouting seems to be the only known system that is based on a consistent personal difference between scouting and foraging individuals.
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10
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Kennedy P, Sumner S, Botha P, Welton NJ, Higginson AD, Radford AN. Diminishing returns drive altruists to help extended family. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:468-479. [PMID: 33589803 PMCID: PMC7610556 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01382-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Altruism between close relatives can be easily explained. However, paradoxes arise when organisms divert altruism towards more distantly related recipients. In some social insects, workers drift extensively between colonies and help raise less related foreign brood, seemingly reducing inclusive fitness. Since being highlighted by W. D. Hamilton, three hypotheses (bet hedging, indirect reciprocity and diminishing returns to cooperation) have been proposed for this surprising behaviour. Here, using inclusive fitness theory, we show that bet hedging and indirect reciprocity could only drive cooperative drifting under improbable conditions. However, diminishing returns to cooperation create a simple context in which sharing workers is adaptive. Using a longitudinal dataset comprising over a quarter of a million nest cell observations, we quantify cooperative payoffs in the Neotropical wasp Polistes canadensis, for which drifting occurs at high levels. As the worker-to-brood ratio rises in a worker's home colony, the predicted marginal benefit of a worker for expected colony productivity diminishes. Helping related colonies can allow effort to be focused on related brood that are more in need of care. Finally, we use simulations to show that cooperative drifting evolves under diminishing returns when dispersal is local, allowing altruists to focus their efforts on related recipients. Our results indicate the power of nonlinear fitness effects to shape social organization, and suggest that models of eusocial evolution should be extended to include neglected social interactions within colony networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Kennedy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK,Correspondence:
| | - S. Sumner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - P. Botha
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - N. J. Welton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK
| | - A. D. Higginson
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - A. N. Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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11
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Population Genetic and Social Structure Survey of Solenopsis geminata in Thailand. Zool Stud 2020; 59:e22. [PMID: 33262845 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2020.59-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fire ants have long been known to be a major pest and have recently attracted renewed widespread attention due to the invasion of Solenopsis species, especially S. invicta, into many countries in Asia and Australia. Here, we surveyed fire ant specimens in Thailand with the aims of studying their colony biology and population structure. We sampled 38 colonies distributed in agricultural and urban areas throughout Thailand for species identification and found that all were S. geminata. We further genotyped 13 microsatellite loci from 576 workers from 23 of these colonies. Analysis of these genetic data revealed that all colonies were polygynous with only a few queens. Queens from the same colonies were highly genetically related. Population structure was partitioned into two clusters. Pairwise F ST values revealed very high genetic differentiation between colonies suggesting low gene flow among populations. This result suggests that queens were locally mated and founded colonies by a budding strategy. Isolation-by-distance among local populations was not significant.
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12
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De Gasperin O, Blacher P, Grasso G, Chapuisat M. Winter is coming: harsh environments limit independent reproduction of cooperative-breeding queens in a socially polymorphic ant. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190730. [PMID: 31964258 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperative breeding animals frequently inhabit harsh environments. It is widely accepted that harsh environments hinder independent reproduction, and this constraint maintains individuals in family groups. Yet the assumption that harsh ecological conditions reduce the success of members of cooperative breeding groups when breeding independently has not been experimentally tested. We addressed this shortcoming using the socially polymorphic Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi. This species has single-queen (independent breeders) and multiple-queen (cooperative breeders) colonies coexisting within populations. We placed newly mated queens emerging from each type of colony to breed alone in either a harsh or mild winter condition and recorded their brood production and survival. Queens emerging from single-queen colonies were unaffected by the winter condition and were more successful at founding a nest independently than queens from multiple-queen colonies. By contrast, queens from multiple-queen colonies had higher mortality after a harsh than after a mild winter. These results support the long-held assumption that harsh environments constrain independent reproduction of members of cooperative breeding groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornela De Gasperin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Blacher
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guglielmo Grasso
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Field J, Toyoizumi H. The evolution of eusociality: no risk-return tradeoff but the ecology matters. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:518-526. [PMID: 31884729 PMCID: PMC7027560 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The origin of eusociality in the Hymenoptera is a question of major interest. Theory has tended to focus on genetic relatedness, but ecology can be just as important a determinant of whether eusociality evolves. Using the model of Fu et al. (2015), we show how ecological assumptions critically affect the conclusions drawn. Fu et al. inferred that eusociality rarely evolves because it faces a fundamental ‘risk‐return tradeoff’. The intuitive logic was that worker production represents an opportunity cost because it delays realising a reproductive payoff. However, making empirically justified assumptions that (1) workers take over egg‐laying following queen death and (2) productivity increases gradually with each additional worker, we find that the risk‐return tradeoff disappears. We then survey Hymenoptera with more specialised morphological castes, and show how the interaction between two common features of eusociality – saturating birth rates and group size‐dependent helping decisions – can determine whether eusociality outperforms other strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Field
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Hiroshi Toyoizumi
- Graduate School of Accounting and Department of Applied Mathematics, Waseda University, Nishi-waseda 1-6-1, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8050, Japan
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14
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Fontana S, Chang NC, Chang T, Lee CC, Dang VD, Wang J. The fire ant social supergene is characterized by extensive gene and transposable element copy number variation. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:105-120. [PMID: 31736148 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, a supergene composed of ~600 genes and having two variants, SB and Sb, regulates colony social form. In single queen colonies, all individuals carry only the SB allele, while in multiple queen colonies, some individuals carry the Sb allele. In this study, we characterized genes with copy number variation between SB and Sb-carrying individuals. We showed extensive acquisition of gene duplicates in the Sb genome, with some likely involved in polygyne-related phenotypes. We found 260 genes with copy number differences between SB and Sb, of which 239 have greater copy number in Sb. We observed transposable element (TE) accumulation on Sb, likely due to the accumulation of repetitive elements on the nonrecombining chromosome. We found a weak correlation between TE copy number and differential expression, suggesting some TEs may still be proliferating in Sb while many of the duplicated TEs have presumably been silenced. Among the 115 non-TE genes with higher copy in Sb, enzymes responsible for cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis were highly represented. These include a desaturase and an elongase, both potentially responsible for differential queen odour and likely beneficial for polygyne ants. These genes seem to have translocated into the supergene from other chromosomes and proliferated by multiple duplication events. While the presence of TEs in supergenes is well documented, little is known about duplication of non-TE genes and their possible adaptive role. Overall, our results suggest that gene duplications may be an important factor leading to monogyne and polygyne ant societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Fontana
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Biodiversity Taiwan International Graduate Program, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ni-Chen Chang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tiffany Chang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chi Lee
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Viet-Dai Dang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Biodiversity Taiwan International Graduate Program, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - John Wang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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15
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Reiner Brodetzki T, Brodetzki G, Feinerman O, Hefetz A. Worker demography and behavior in a supercolonial ant colony: The case of the desert ant
Cataglyphis niger. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tali Reiner Brodetzki
- School of Zoology George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Guy Brodetzki
- Physics Department Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Ofer Feinerman
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot Israel
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- School of Zoology George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
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16
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Treanor D, Hughes WOH. Limited female dispersal predicts the incidence of Wolbachia across ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1163-1170. [PMID: 31334893 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is perhaps the greatest panzootic in the history of life on Earth, yet remarkably little is known regarding the factors that determine its incidence across species. One possibility is that Wolbachia more easily invades species with structured populations, due to the increased strength of genetic drift and higher initial frequency of infection. This should enable strains that induce mating incompatibilities to more easily cross the threshold prevalence above which they spread to either fixation or a stable equilibrium infection prevalence. Here, we provide empirical support for this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between female dispersal (as a proxy for population structure) and the incidence of Wolbachia across 250 species of ants. We show that species in which the dispersal of reproductive females is limited are significantly more likely to be infected with Wolbachia than species whose reproductive ecology is consistent with significant dispersal of females, and that this relationship remains after controlling for host phylogeny. We suggest that structured host populations, in this case resulting from limited female dispersal, may be an important feature determining how easily Wolbachia becomes successfully established in a novel host, and thus its occurrence across a wide diversity of invertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Treanor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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17
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18
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Eyer PA, Matsuura K, Vargo EL, Kobayashi K, Yashiro T, Suehiro W, Himuro C, Yokoi T, Guénard B, Dunn RR, Tsuji K. Inbreeding tolerance as a pre-adapted trait for invasion success in the invasive ant Brachyponera chinensis. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4711-4724. [PMID: 30368959 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Identifying traits that facilitate species introductions and successful invasions of ecosystems represents a key issue in ecology. Following their establishment into new environments, many non-native species exhibit phenotypic plasticity with post-introduction changes in behaviour, morphology or life history traits that allow them to overcome the presumed loss of genetic diversity resulting in inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential. Here, we present a unique strategy in the invasive ant Brachyponera chinensis (Emery), in which inbreeding tolerance is a pre-adapted trait for invasion success, allowing this ant to cope with genetic depletion following a genetic bottleneck. We report for the first time that inbreeding is not a consequence of the founder effect following introduction, but it is due to mating between sister queens and their brothers that pre-exists in native populations which may have helped it circumvent the cost of invasion. We show that a genetic bottleneck does not affect the genetic diversity or the level of heterozygosity within colonies and suggest that generations of sib-mating in native populations may have reduced inbreeding depression through purifying selection of deleterious alleles. This work highlights how a unique life history may pre-adapt some species for biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshihisa Yashiro
- Molecular Ecology, Evolution, and Phylogenetics (MEEP) laboratory School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wataru Suehiro
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chihiro Himuro
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong
| | - Robert R Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany.,Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Kazuki Tsuji
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
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19
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Eyer PA, Hefetz A. Cytonuclear incongruences hamper species delimitation in the socially polymorphic desert ants of the Cataglyphis albicans group in Israel. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1828-1842. [PMID: 30240036 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Assessing whether behavioural, ecological or geographical factors trigger population divergence provides key insights into the biological processes driving speciation. Recent speciation in restricted geographic area without obvious ecological barriers prompts the question of the behavioural mechanisms underlying species divergence. In this context, we investigated phylogenetic relationships in the Cataglyphis albicans desert ant complex in Israel. We first determined accurate species delimitation using two mitochondrial and six nuclear genes, as well as 11 microsatellite markers to investigate cryptic species in this group, assessing reduction in gene flow between populations. We then investigated whether different species in this group exhibit distinct reproductive strategies, inferring social structure and queen-mating frequency in each species uncovered. Our findings highlight the presence of at least six distinct Cataglyphis albicans species in the restricted range of Israel; four of them co-occur in a 50 × 50 km area in North Negev, while two are endemic from there. However, our results reveal incongruences between nuclear and mitochondrial clustering, which complicate species identification and preclude the exclusive use of mtDNA to confidently delimit species in this group. Finally, we show that the different species of the C. albicans group in Israel exhibit quite similar reproductive strategies with most of them having colonies headed by a single queen mated with several males; colonies of one species were, however, headed by several queens. Overall, this weak variation across species thereby unlikely represents the main evolutionary force behind speciation of these sympatric species. We then discuss the potential evolutionary processes that underlie speciation in this group in the absence of clear geographical or ecological barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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20
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Avril A, Purcell J, Brelsford A, Chapuisat M. Asymmetric assortative mating and queen polyandry are linked to a supergene controlling ant social organization. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:1428-1438. [PMID: 30003603 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Nonrecombining genomic variants underlie spectacular social polymorphisms, from bird mating systems to ant social organization. Because these "social supergenes" affect multiple phenotypic traits linked to survival and reproduction, explaining their persistence remains a substantial challenge. Here, we investigate how large nonrecombining genomic variants relate to colony social organization, mating system and dispersal in the Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi. The species has colonies headed by a single queen (monogynous) and colonies headed by multiple queens (polygynous). We confirmed that a supergene with alternate haplotypes-Sm and Sp-underlies this polymorphism in social structure: Females from mature monogynous colonies had the Sm/Sm genotype, while those from polygynous colonies were Sm/Sp and Sp/Sp. Queens heading monogynous colonies were exclusively mated with Sm males. In contrast, queens heading polygynous colonies were mated with Sp males and Sm males. Sm males, which are only produced by monogynous colonies, accounted for 22.9% of the matings with queens from mature polygynous colonies. This asymmetry between social forms in the degree of assortative mating generates unidirectional male-mediated gene flow from the monogynous to the polygynous social form. Biased gene flow was confirmed by a significantly higher number of private alleles in the polygynous social form. Moreover, heterozygous queens were three times as likely as homozygous queens to be multiply mated. This study reveals that the supergene variants jointly affect social organization and multiple components of the mating system that alter the transmission of the variants and thus influence the dynamics of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Avril
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Purcell
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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21
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Zheng C, Yang F, Zeng L, Vargo EL, Xu Y. Genetic diversity and colony structure of Tapinoma melanocephalum on the islands and mainland of South China. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5427-5440. [PMID: 29938063 PMCID: PMC6010919 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Tapinoma melanocephalum is listed as one of the most important invasive pest species in China. Information regarding the patterns of invasion and effects of geographic isolation on the population genetics of this species is largely lacking. LOCATION South China. METHODS To address this problem, we genotyped 39 colonies (two colonies were collapsed due to genetic similarity) using microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA sequencing to compare colony genetic structure of T. melanocephalum on the mainland and islands of South China. RESULTS An analysis of the colony genotypes showed that the genetic diversity of the mainland population was slightly higher than that of the island populations but not significantly so. However, the observed heterozygosity on Shangchuan Island (SCD) was significantly lower than that of the other colonies. We also found six haplotypes in 111 mitochondrial DNA COI sequences. The relatedness (r) value between colonies of SCD was 0.410, higher than that of the other populations. The genetic clusters among colonies were not related to geographic locations and exhibited admixture likely due to frequent human-mediated dispersal associated with trade between the mainland population and the islands. Pairwise FSTs between populations showed differentiation among mainland populations, while SCD displayed high levels of divergence (FST > 0.15) from most mainland populations. There was no significant isolation by distance among colonies. Most populations showed signs of a bottleneck effect. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that there was no significant difference in the genetic diversity among the islands and the mainland; however, the lower genetic diversity, the higher degree of genetic divergence from other colonies, and the higher relatedness among nestmates made the SCD population stand out from all the others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Zheng
- Department of EntomologySouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of EntomologySouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Ling Zeng
- Department of EntomologySouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Edward L. Vargo
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexas
| | - Yijuan Xu
- Department of EntomologySouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
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22
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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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23
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Romiguier J, Rolland J, Morandin C, Keller L. Phylogenomics of palearctic Formica species suggests a single origin of temporary parasitism and gives insights to the evolutionary pathway toward slave-making behaviour. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:40. [PMID: 29592795 PMCID: PMC5872393 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1159-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ants of the Formica genus are classical model species in evolutionary biology. In particular, Darwin used Formica as model species to better understand the evolution of slave-making, a parasitic behaviour where workers of another species are stolen to exploit their workforce. In his book “On the Origin of Species” (1859), Darwin first hypothesized that slave-making behaviour in Formica evolved in incremental steps from a free-living ancestor. Methods The absence of a well-resolved phylogenetic tree of the genus prevent an assessment of whether relationships among Formica subgenera are compatible with this scenario. In this study, we resolve the relationships among the 4 palearctic Formica subgenera (Formica str. s., Coptoformica, Raptiformica and Serviformica) using a phylogenomic dataset of 945 genes for 16 species. Results We provide a reference tree resolving the relationships among the main Formica subgenera with high bootstrap supports. Discussion The branching order of our tree suggests that the free-living lifestyle is ancestral in the Formica genus and that parasitic colony founding could have evolved a single time, probably acting as a pre-adaptation to slave-making behaviour. Conclusion This phylogenetic tree provides a solid backbone for future evolutionary studies in the Formica genus and slave-making behaviour. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1159-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Romiguier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,CNRS UMR-5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France.
| | - Jonathan Rolland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, #4200-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claire Morandin
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Pharaoh ant colonies dynamically regulate reproductive allocation based on colony demography. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2430-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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25
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Abstract
The study of insect social behavior has offered tremendous insight into the molecular mechanisms mediating behavioral and phenotypic plasticity. Genomic applications to the study of eusocial insect species, in particular, have led to several hypotheses for the processes underlying the molecular evolution of behavior. Advances in understanding the genetic control of social organization have also been made, suggesting an important role for supergenes in the evolution of divergent behavioral phenotypes. Intensive study of social phenotypes across species has revealed that behavior and caste are controlled by an interaction between genetic and environmentally mediated effects and, further, that gene expression and regulation mediate plastic responses to environmental signals. However, several key methodological flaws that are hindering progress in the study of insect social behavior remain. After reviewing the current state of knowledge, we outline ongoing challenges in experimental design that remain to be overcome in order to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; ,
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; ,
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26
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Hamidi R, de Biseau JC, Bourguignon T, Martins Segundo GB, Fontenelle MTMB, Quinet Y. Dispersal strategies in the highly polygynous ant Crematogaster (Orthocrema) pygmaea Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178813. [PMID: 28591211 PMCID: PMC5462381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In ants, dispersal strategies and morphology of female sexuals are generally linked to the mode of colony founding. In species using long-range dispersal tactics, queen/worker dimorphism is generally high and young queens are able to initiate new colonies by themselves, using their metabolic reserves. By contrast, in species using short-range dispersal strategies, queen/worker dimorphism is generally low and, due to their limited metabolic reserves, queens have lost the capacity to raise their brood alone and to found their colony independently. Moreover, polygyny is also often associated with short-range dispersal strategies, although the relationship between the number of queens and the dispersal strategy in ants is not clear-cut. Here, dispersal strategies were investigated in C. pygmaea, a highly polygynous and polydomous ant species from northeastern Brazil. Field observations and laboratory experiments show that this ant exhibits a suite of traits that are more commonly associated with long-range dispersal and independent colony foundation: functional wings in both males and females, high queen/worker dimorphism, strong weight loss in mature queens, nuptial flights and, in the lab, ability of young queens to found new colonies in haplometrotic conditions. On the other hand, this species shows a high degree of polygyny with a strong seasonal component, and, at least under laboratory conditions, mature queens seem able to develop propagules if they are accompanied by at least 10 workers. These features strongly suggest that (1) some of the gynes do not engage in a long-range dispersal but become new queens in their mother colony and (2) that budding events are possible in this species. We therefore speculate that C. pygmaea has a dual dispersal strategy probably related to environmental conditions: some gynes engage in long-range dispersal followed by independent colony foundation at the beginning of rainy season, while others mate in the parental colony and are re-adopted leading to high polygyny. During the rainy season, budding events can lead to colony extension and increased polydomy. Polydomy is commonly thought to improve resource discovery and exploitation through decentralized foraging behavior, a significant advantage during the rainy season when food ressources (mainly floral/extrafloral nectaries and hemipteran honeydew) are more abundant and when colony needs for food supplies are highest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachid Hamidi
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Thomas Bourguignon
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904–0495, Japan
| | - Glauco Bezerra Martins Segundo
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Yves Quinet
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
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27
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Pracana R, Priyam A, Levantis I, Nichols RA, Wurm Y. The fire ant social chromosome supergene variant Sb shows low diversity but high divergence from SB. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2864-2879. [PMID: 28220980 PMCID: PMC5485014 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Variation in social behaviour is common, yet little is known about the genetic architectures underpinning its evolution. A rare exception is in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta: Alternative variants of a supergene region determine whether a colony will have exactly one or up to dozens of queens. The two variants of this region are carried by a pair of 'social chromosomes', SB and Sb, which resemble a pair of sex chromosomes. Recombination is suppressed between the two chromosomes in the supergene region. While the X-like SB can recombine with itself in SB/SB queens, recombination is effectively absent in the Y-like Sb because Sb/Sb queens die before reproducing. Here, we analyse whole-genome sequences of eight haploid SB males and eight haploid Sb males. We find extensive SB-Sb differentiation throughout the >19-Mb-long supergene region. We find no evidence of 'evolutionary strata' with different levels of divergence comparable to those reported in several sex chromosomes. A high proportion of substitutions between the SB and Sb haplotypes are nonsynonymous, suggesting inefficacy of purifying selection in Sb sequences, similar to that for Y-linked sequences in XY systems. Finally, we show that the Sb haplotype of the supergene region has 635-fold less nucleotide diversity than the rest of the genome. We discuss how this reduction could be due to a recent selective sweep affecting Sb specifically or associated with a population bottleneck during the invasion of North America by the sampled population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pracana
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Anurag Priyam
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Ilya Levantis
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Richard A. Nichols
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
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28
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Goodisman MAD, Ross KG. A TEST OF QUEEN RECRUITMENT MODELS USING NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL MARKERS IN THE FIRE ANTSOLENOPSIS INVICTA. Evolution 2017; 52:1416-1422. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1998.tb02023.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/1997] [Accepted: 06/19/1998] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth G. Ross
- Department of Entomology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602-2603
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29
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Chapuisat M, Goudet J, Keller L. MICROSATELLITES REVEAL HIGH POPULATION VISCOSITY AND LIMITED DISPERSAL IN THE ANTFORMICA PARALUGUBRIS. Evolution 2017; 51:475-482. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb02435.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/1996] [Accepted: 10/17/1996] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Chapuisat
- Musée de Zoologie; P.O. Box 448 1000 Lausanne 17 Switzerland
- Institut de Zoologie et d'Ecologie Animale; University of Lausanne; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Goudet
- Institut de Zoologie et d'Ecologie Animale; University of Lausanne; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Laurent Keller
- Institut de Zoologie et d'Ecologie Animale; University of Lausanne; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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30
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Social Structure and Genetic Distance Mediate Nestmate Recognition and Aggressiveness in the Facultative Polygynous Ant Pheidole pallidula. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156440. [PMID: 27243627 PMCID: PMC4886963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In social insects, the evolutionary stability of cooperation depends on the privileged relationships between individuals of the social group, which is facilitated by the recognition of relatives. Nestmate recognition is based on genetically determined cues and/or environmentally derived chemical components present on the cuticle of individuals. Here, we studied nestmate recognition in the ant Pheidole pallidula, a species where both single-queen (monogyne) and multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies co-occur in the same population. We combined geographical, genetic and chemical analyses to disentangle the factors influencing the level of intraspecific aggressiveness. We show that encounters between workers from neighbouring colonies (i.e., nests less than 5 m away) are on average less aggressive than those between workers from more distant colonies. Aggressive behaviour is associated with the level of genetic difference: workers from monogyne colonies are more aggressive than workers from polygyne colonies, and the intensity of aggressiveness is positively associated with the genetic distance between colonies. Since the genetic distance is correlated with the spatial distance between pairs of colonies, the lower level of aggression toward neighbours may result from their higher relatedness. In contrast, the analysis of overall cuticular hydrocarbon profiles shows that aggressive behaviour is associated neither with the chemical diversity of colonies, nor with the chemical distances between them. When considering methyl-branched alkanes only, however, chemical distances differed between monogyne and polygyne colonies and were significantly associated with aggressiveness. Altogether, these results show that the social structure of colonies and the genetic distances between colonies are two major factors influencing the intensity of agonistic behaviours in the ant P. pallidula.
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31
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Walter B, Heinze J. Queen-worker ratio affects reproductive skew in a socially polymorphic ant. Ecol Evol 2016; 5:5609-15. [PMID: 27069610 PMCID: PMC4813118 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The partitioning of reproduction among individuals in communally breeding animals varies greatly among species, from the monopolization of reproduction (high reproductive skew) to similar contribution to the offspring in others (low skew). Reproductive skew models explain how relatedness or ecological constraints affect the magnitude of reproductive skew. They typically assume that individuals are capable of flexibly reacting to social and environmental changes. Most models predict a decrease of skew when benefits of staying in the group are reduced. In the ant Leptothorax acervorum, queens in colonies from marginal habitats form dominance hierarchies and only the top‐ranking queen lays eggs (“functional monogyny”). In contrast, queens in colonies from extended coniferous forests throughout the Palaearctic rarely interact aggressively and all lay eggs (“polygyny”). An experimental increase of queen:worker ratios in colonies from low‐skew populations elicits queen–queen aggression similar to that in functionally monogynous populations. Here, we show that this manipulation also results in increased reproductive inequalities among queens. Queens from natural overwintering colonies differed in the number of developing oocytes in their ovaries. These differences were greatly augmented in queens from colonies with increased queen:worker ratios relative to colonies with a low queen:worker ratio. As assumed by models of reproductive skew, L. acervorum colonies thus appear to be capable of flexibly adjusting reproductive skew to social conditions, yet in the opposite way than predicted by most models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Walter
- Museum and Institute of Zoology Polish Academy of Sciences Wilcza 64 00-679 Warsaw Poland
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Biologie I Universität Regensburg D-93040 Regensburg Germany
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Purcell J, Pirogan D, Avril A, Bouyarden F, Chapuisat M. Environmental influence on the phenotype of ant workers revealed by common garden experiment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2055-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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33
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Trible W, Ross KG. Chemical communication of queen supergene status in an ant. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:502-13. [PMID: 26644320 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Traits of interest to evolutionary biologists often have complex genetic architectures, the nature of which can confound traditional experimental study at single levels of analysis. In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, the presence of a Mendelian 'supergene' is both necessary and sufficient to induce a shift in a fundamental property of social organization, from single-queen (monogyne) to multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies. This selfish genetic element, termed the Social b (Sb) supergene, contains > 600 genes that collectively promote its fitness by inducing the characteristic polygyne syndrome, in part by causing polygyne workers to accept only queens bearing the Sb element (a behaviour termed 'worker Sb discrimination'). Here, we employ a newly developed behavioural assay to reveal that polygyne workers, many of which bear the Sb element, employ chemical cues on the cuticle of queens to achieve worker Sb discrimination, but we found no evidence for such pheromonally mediated worker Sb discrimination in monogyne workers, which universally lack the Sb element. This polygyne worker Sb discrimination was then verified through a 'green beard' effect previously described in this system. We thus have demonstrated that the Sb element is required both for production of relevant chemical cues of queens and for expression of the behaviours of workers that collectively result in worker Sb discrimination. This information fills a critical gap in the map between genotype and complex phenotype in S. invicta by restricting the search for candidate genes and molecules involved in producing this complex social trait to factors associated with the Sb element itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Trible
- The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - K G Ross
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Chak STC, Rubenstein DR, Duffy JE. Social Control of Reproduction and Breeding Monopolization in the Eusocial Snapping ShrimpSynalpheus elizabethae. Am Nat 2015; 186:660-8. [DOI: 10.1086/683132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Avila P, Fromhage L. No synergy needed: ecological constraints favor the evolution of eusociality. Am Nat 2015; 186:31-40. [PMID: 26098336 DOI: 10.1086/681637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In eusocial species, some individuals sacrifice their own reproduction for the benefit of others. It has been argued that the evolution of sterile helpers in eusocial insects requires synergistic efficiency gains through cooperation that are uncommon in cooperatively breeding vertebrates and that this precludes a universal ecological explanation of social systems with alloparental care. In contrast, using a model that incorporates realistic ecological mechanisms of population regulation, we show here that constraints on independent breeding (through nest-site limitation and dispersal mortality) eliminate any need for synergistic efficiency gains: sterile helpers may evolve even if they are relatively inefficient at rearing siblings, reducing their colony's per-capita productivity. Our approach connects research fields by using hypotheses developed for cooperative breeding to explain the evolution of eusociality. The results suggest that these hypotheses may apply more generally than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piret Avila
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
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36
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Purcell J, Pellissier L, Chapuisat M. Social structure varies with elevation in an Alpine ant. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:498-507. [PMID: 25521945 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Insect societies vary greatly in social organization, yet the relative roles of ecological and genetic factors in driving this variation remain poorly understood. Identifying how social structure varies along environmental gradients can provide insights into the ecological conditions favouring alternative social organizations. Here, we investigate how queen number variation is distributed along elevation gradients within a socially polymorphic ant, the Alpine silver ant Formica selysi. We sampled low- and high-elevation populations in multiple Alpine valleys. We show that populations belonging to different drainage basins are genetically differentiated. In contrast, there is little genetic divergence between low- and high-elevation populations within the same drainage basin. Thus, elevation gradients in each of the drainage basins represent independent contrasts. Whatever the elevation, all well-sampled populations are socially polymorphic, containing both monogynous (= one queen) and polygynous (= multiple queen) colonies. However, the proportion of monogynous colonies per population increases at higher elevation, while the effective number of queens in polygynous colonies decreases, and this pattern is replicated in each drainage basin. The increased prevalence of colonies with a single queen at high elevation is correlated with summer and winter average temperature, but not with precipitation. The colder, unpredictable and patchy environment encountered at higher elevations may favour larger queens with the ability to disperse and establish incipient monogynous colonies independently, while the stable and continuous habitat in the lowlands may favour large, fast-growing polygynous colonies. By highlighting differences in the environmental conditions favouring monogynous or polygynous colonies, this study sheds light on the ecological factors influencing the distribution and maintenance of social polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Purcell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
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Libbrecht R, Kronauer D. Convergent Evolution: The Genetics of Queen Number in Ants. Curr Biol 2014; 24:R1083-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Purcell J, Brelsford A, Wurm Y, Perrin N, Chapuisat M. Convergent Genetic Architecture Underlies Social Organization in Ants. Curr Biol 2014; 24:2728-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 08/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Luque GM, Giraud T, Courchamp F. Allee effects in ants. J Anim Ecol 2014; 82:956-65. [PMID: 23672650 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
1. Allee effects occur when the aggregation of individuals result in mutually beneficial intraspecific interactions whereby individual fitness, or per capita growth rate, increases with the number of individuals. Allee effects are common in social species due to their cooperative behaviours, such as breeding, feeding or defence. Allee effects have important implications for many aspects of basic and applied ecology. Over the past decades, the study of Allee effects has influenced population dynamics, community ecology, endangered species management and invasion biology. 2. Despite the fact that cooperation is the basis of their social structure, Allee effects have received little attention among eusocial insects. Extreme cooperation is common, and reproductive specialization of individuals occurs due to division of labour. These life-history traits suggest that the potential contribution of each caste to reproduction and survival may be differential and nonadditive. 3. We studied Allee effects in the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). In this species, many queens and workers are present in colonies, which allowed us to explore the differential effects of castes on the presence of Allee effects. In the laboratory, we measured brood production and individual survival in experimental colonies that differed in the initial numbers of queens and workers.4. Our results highlight the differential effect of queens and workers on survival and productivity. We found three positive density-dependent relationships indicative of component Allee effects at the colony level: both workers and queens had a positive effect on the productivity of the other caste, and queens had a positive effect on worker survivorship. 5. Our experimental results suggest a potential positive feedback between worker and queen abundance, which may have contributed to the evolution of large colony sizes. Our study provides the first evidence of Allee effects in eusocial insects and highlights the need to consider castes separately in population dynamics. Division of labour and differential reproductive rates are factors that should be integrated into the study of Allee effects.
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Boulay R, Arnan X, Cerdá X, Retana J. The ecological benefits of larger colony size may promote polygyny in ants. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2856-63. [PMID: 25302869 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
How polygyny evolved in social insect societies is a long-standing question. This phenomenon, which is functionally similar to communal breeding in vertebrates, occurs when several queens come together in the same nest to lay eggs that are raised by workers. As a consequence, polygyny drastically reduces genetic relatedness among nestmates. It has been suggested that the short-term benefits procured by group living may outweigh the costs of sharing the same nesting site and thus contribute to organisms rearing unrelated individuals. However, tests of this hypothesis are still limited. To examine the evolutionary emergence of polygyny, we reviewed the literature to build a data set containing life-history traits for 149 Palearctic ant species and combined this data set with a reconstructed phylogeny. We show that monogyny is the ancestral state and that polygyny has evolved secondarily and independently throughout the phylogenetic tree. The occurrence of polygyny is significantly correlated with larger colony size, dependent colony founding and ecological dominance. Although polydomy (when a colony simultaneously uses several connected nests) tends to occur more frequently in polygynous species, this trend is not significant when phylogenetic history is accounted for. Overall, our results indicate that polygyny may have evolved in ants in spite of the reduction in nestmate relatedness because large colony size provides immediate ecological advantages, such as the more efficient use of temporal food resources. We suggest that the competitive context of ant communities may have provided the conditions necessary for the evolution of polygyny in some clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Boulay
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain; IRBI, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France
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41
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Buechel SD, Wurm Y, Keller L. Social chromosome variants differentially affect queen determination and the survival of workers in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:5117-27. [PMID: 25211290 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in social organization is common, yet the underlying causes are rarely known. An exception is the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in which the existence of two distinct forms of social colony organization is under the control of the two variants of a pair of social chromosomes, SB and Sb. Colonies containing exclusively SB/SB workers accept only one single queen and she must be SB/SB. By contrast, when colonies contain more than 10% of SB/Sb workers, they accept several queens but only SB/Sb queens. The variants of the social chromosome are associated with several additional important phenotypic differences, including the size, fecundity and dispersal strategies of queens, aggressiveness of workers, and sperm count in males. However, little is known about whether social chromosome variants affect fitness in other life stages. Here, we perform experiments to determine whether differential selection occurs during development and in adult workers. We find evidence that the Sb variant of the social chromosome increases the likelihood of female brood to develop into queens and that adult SB/Sb workers, the workers that cull SB/SB queens, are overrepresented in comparison to SB/SB workers. This demonstrates that supergenes such as the social chromosome can have complex effects on phenotypes at various stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séverine D Buechel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Sorge, Le Biophore, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ), ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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42
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Convergent development of ecological, genetic, and morphological traits in native supercolonies of the red ant Myrmica rubra. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1795-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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43
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Arnan X, Cerdá X, Retana J. Ant functional responses along environmental gradients. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1398-408. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Arnan
- CREAF; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalunya Spain
- Faculty of Biology; TU Darmstadt; Schnittspahnstrasse 3 D-64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Estación Biológica de Doñana; CSIC; Avda Américo Vespucio, s/n E-41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - Javier Retana
- CREAF; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalunya Spain
- Univ Autònoma Barcelona; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalunya Spain
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Saar M, Leniaud L, Aron S, Hefetz A. At the brink of supercoloniality: genetic, behavioral, and chemical assessments of population structure of the desert ant Cataglyphis niger. Front Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Abstract
The genetic basis for animal social organization is poorly understood. Fire ants provide one of the rare cases where variation in social organization has been demonstrated to be under genetic control, which amazingly, segregates as a single Mendelian locus. A recent genetic, genomic, and cytological analysis revealed that this locus actually consists of over 600 genes locked together in a supergene that possesses many characteristics of sex chromosomes. The fire ant social supergene also behaves selfishly, and an interesting evolutionary question is whether the genes incorporated first into the social supergene were those for social adaptation, selfish genetic drive, or something else. In depth, functional molecular genetic analysis in fire ants and comparative genomics in other closely related socially polymorphic species will be required to resolve this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ching Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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46
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Ozan M, Helanterä H, Sundström L. The value of oviposition timing, queen presence and kinship in a social insect. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131231. [PMID: 23843391 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive cooperation confers benefits, but simultaneously creates conflicts among cooperators. Queens in multi-queen colonies of ants share a nest and its resources, but reproductive competition among queens often results in unequal reproduction. Two mutually non-exclusive factors may produce such inequality in reproduction: worker intervention or queen traits. Workers may intervene by favouring some queens over others, owing to either kinship or queen signals. Queens may differ in their intrinsic fecundity at the onset of oviposition or in their timing of the onset of oviposition, leading to their unequal representation in the brood. Here, we test the role of queen kin value (relatedness) to workers, timing of the onset of oviposition and signals of presence by queens in determining the maternity of offspring. We show that queens of the ant Formica fusca gained a significantly higher proportion of sexuals in the brood when ovipositing early, and that the presence of a caged queen resulted in a significant increase in both her share of sexual brood and her overall reproductive share. Moreover, the lower the kin value of the queen, the more the workers invested in their own reproduction by producing males. Our results show that both kinship and breeding phenology influence the outcome of reproductive conflicts, and the balance of direct and indirect fitness benefits in the multi-queen colonies of F. fusca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ozan
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
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47
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Overson R, Gadau J, Clark RM, Pratt SC, Fewell JH. Behavioral transitions with the evolution of cooperative nest founding by harvester ant queens. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1618-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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48
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Hanna C, Cook ED, Thompson AR, Dare LE, Palaski AL, Foote D, Goodisman MAD. Colony social structure in native and invasive populations of the social wasp Vespula pensylvanica. Biol Invasions 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-013-0517-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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49
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Linksvayer TA, Busch JW, Smith CR. Social supergenes of superorganisms: Do supergenes play important roles in social evolution? Bioessays 2013; 35:683-9. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeremiah W. Busch
- School of Biological Sciences; Washington State University; Pullman WA, USA
| | - Chris R. Smith
- Department of Biology; Earlham College; Richmond IN, USA
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50
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Abstract
Costs and benefits of pleometrosis, as understood from social Hymenoptera, have never been tested in the independently evolved termites. To understand the extent to which such co-founding may be advantageous for colony survival and growth, we tracked the survival and reproduction of 5000 laboratory-established incipient colonies of the facultatively polygamous neotropical termite Nasutitermes corniger. Significantly more pleometrotic groups than monogamous queen-king pairs failed within the first 90 days of establishment, and 99 per cent of pleometrotic groups lost at least one founding member. Oviposition commenced earlier in larger groups, but colony growth was slower and production of workers and soldiers was delayed compared with pairs. Thus, pleometrosis does not increase colony fitness and is in fact highly disadvantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara R Hartke
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
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