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Carmona-Aldana F, Yong LW, Reinberg D, Desplan C. Phenomenon of reproductive plasticity in ants. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101197. [PMID: 38583769 PMCID: PMC11139587 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Ant colonies are organized in castes with distinct behaviors that together allow the colony to strive. Reproduction relies on one or a few queens that stay in the nest producing eggs, while females of the worker caste do not reproduce and instead engage in colony maintenance and brood caretaking. Yet, in spite of this clear separation of functions, workers can become reproductive under defined circumstances. Here, we review the context in which workers become reproductive, exhibiting asexual or sexual reproduction depending on the species. Remarkably, the activation of reproduction in these workers can be quite stable, with changes that include behavior and a dramatic extension of lifespan. We compare these changes between species that do or do not have a queen caste. We discuss how the mechanisms underlying reproductive plasticity include changes in hormonal functions and in epigenetic configurations. Further studies are warranted to elucidate not only how reproductive functions have been gradually restricted to the queen caste during evolution but also how reproductive plasticity remains possible in workers of some species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luok Wen Yong
- Department of Biology, New York University, NY 10003, USA
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA.
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, NY 10003, USA; Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, Abu Dhabi 51133, United Arab Emirates.
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2
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Lecocq de Pletincx N, Dellicour S, Aron S. The evolution of ant worker polymorphism correlates with multiple social traits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03049-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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3
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Muñoz-Valencia V, Kähkönen K, Montoya-Lerma J, Díaz F. Characterization of a New Set of Microsatellite Markers Suggests Polygyny and Polyandry in Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 113:3021-3027. [PMID: 32964936 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The leaf-cutting ant, Atta cephalotes L. (1758), is a major herbivore with great economic impact in the Neotropics. Because of its broad range and human-mediated dissemination, the ecology of this ant has received considerable attention; however, questions concerning its population genetics, dispersal, and social structure remain unexplored. Here, we aimed to identify and provide information on molecular and statistical performance of a suite of polymorphic microsatellite markers for A. cephalotes while demonstrating their utility for further genetic studies. We designed primer sequences targeting thousands of microsatellite loci and then screened 30 of these for amplification and polymorphism. Fifteen of these loci were selected and used to evaluate their polymorphism using 74 ants sampled from 15 different nests of the same location. This set of 15 loci exhibited variation of 2-20 alleles, with a mean heterozygosity of 0.57. All loci followed Hardy-Weinberg expectations with no evidence of linkage disequilibrium, while two loci showed evidence of null alleles. Our preliminary analysis suggested substantial nest differentiation with no population viscosity within the sampled location, as well as colonies with multiple queens (polygyny) and paternity (polyandry). Our newly identified microsatellites have proven to be highly informative to investigate gene flow, social structure and reproduction of this key agricultural pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Muñoz-Valencia
- Grupo de Ecología de Agroecosistemas y Hábitats Naturales, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez campus, Cali, Colombia
| | - Kirsi Kähkönen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - James Montoya-Lerma
- Grupo de Ecología de Agroecosistemas y Hábitats Naturales, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez campus, Cali, Colombia
| | - Fernando Díaz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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Andras JP, Hollis KL, Carter KA, Couldwell G, Nowbahari E. Analysis of ants' rescue behavior reveals heritable specialization for first responders. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb212530. [PMID: 32029458 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.212530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In colonies of Cataglyphis cursor ants, a single queen mates with multiple males, creating the foundation for heritable behavioral specializations. A novel and unique candidate for such specializations is rescue behavior, a precisely delivered form of altruism in which workers attempt to release trapped nestmates and which relies on short-term memory of previous actions to increase its efficiency. Consistent with task specialization, not all individuals participate; instead, some individuals move away from the victim, which gives rescuers unrestricted access. Using a bioassay to identify rescuers and non-rescuers, coupled with paternity assignment via polymorphic microsatellite markers, we not only show that rescue behavior is heritable, with 34% of the variation explained by paternity, but also establish that rescue, heretofore overlooked in analyses of division of labor, is a true specialization, an ant version of first responders. Moreover, this specialization emerges as early as 5 days of age, and the frequency of rescuers remains constant across ants' age ranges. The extremely broad range of these ants' heritable polyethism provides further support for the critical role of polyandry in increasing the efficiency of colony structure and, in turn, reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason P Andras
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Karen L Hollis
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Kristyn A Carter
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Genevieve Couldwell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Elise Nowbahari
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
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5
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Knaden M. Learning and processing of navigational cues in the desert ant. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 54:140-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Reiner Brodetzki T, Hefetz A. Determining social and population structures requires multiple approaches: A case study of the desert ant Cataglyphis israelensis. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12365-12374. [PMID: 30619551 PMCID: PMC6308896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The remarkable diversity of ant social organization is reflected in both their life history and population kin structure. Different species demonstrate a high variation with respect to both social structure and mating strategies: from the ancestral colony type that is composed of a single queen (monogyny), singly inseminated (monoandry), to the more derived states of colonies headed by a multiply inseminated queen (polyandry), to colonies composed of multiple queens (polygyny) that are either singly or multiply inseminated. Moreover, the population structure of an ant species can range from multicoloniality to polydomy to supercoloniality, and Cataglyphis is considered to be a model genus in regard to such diversity. The present study sought to determine the social and population structure of the recently described C. israelensis species in Israel. For this purpose we employed a multidisciplinary approach, rather than the commonly used single approach that is mostly based on genetics. Our study encompassed behavior (nest insularity/openness), chemistry (composition of nestmate recognition signals and cuticular hydrocarbons), and genetics (microsatellite polymorphism). Each approach has been shown to possess both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the studied species. Our findings reveal that C. israelensis colonies are headed by a single, multiply inseminated queen and that the population structure is polydomous, with each colony comprising one main nest and several additional satellite nests. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that none of the above-noted approaches, when employed individually, is suitable or sufficient in itself for delineating population structure, thus emphasizing the importance of using multiple approaches when assessing such complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Reiner Brodetzki
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
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Boulay R, Aron S, Cerdá X, Doums C, Graham P, Hefetz A, Monnin T. Social Life in Arid Environments: The Case Study of Cataglyphis Ants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 62:305-321. [PMID: 27860520 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-034941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Unlike most desert-dwelling animals, Cataglyphis ants do not attempt to escape the heat; rather, they apply their impressive heat tolerance to avoid competitors and predators. This thermally defined niche has promoted a range of adaptations both at the individual and colony levels. We have also recently discovered that within the genus Cataglyphis there are incredibly diverse social systems, modes of reproduction, and dispersal, prompting the tantalizing question of whether social diversity may also be a consequence of the harsh environment within which we find these charismatic ants. Here we review recent advances regarding the physiological, behavioral, life-history, colony, and ecological characteristics of Cataglyphis and consider perspectives on future research that will build our understanding of organic adaptive responses to desertification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Boulay
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Institute of Insect Biology, Tours University, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Serge Aron
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050, Belgium
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Claudie Doums
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Institute of Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity, CNRS, UPMC, EPHE, MNHN, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Paul Graham
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- UMR 7618, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75252 Paris, France
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Evolution of reproductive traits in Cataglyphis desert ants: mating frequency, queen number, and thelytoky. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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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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10
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Jowers MJ, Leniaud L, Cerdá X, Alasaad S, Caut S, Amor F, Aron S, Boulay RR. Social and population structure in the ant Cataglyphis emmae. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72941. [PMID: 24039827 PMCID: PMC3767659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal has consequences not only for individual fitness, but also for population dynamics, population genetics and species distribution. Social Hymenoptera show two contrasting colony reproductive strategies, dependent and independent colony foundation modes, and these are often associated to the population structures derived from inter and intra-population gene flow processes conditioned by alternative dispersal strategies. Here we employ microsatellite and mitochondrial markers to investigate the population and social genetic structure and dispersal patterns in the ant Cataglyphis emmae at both, local and regional scales. We find that C. emmae is monogynous and polyandrous. Lack of detection of any population viscosity and population structure with nuclear markers at the local scale suggests efficient dispersal, in agreement with a lack of inbreeding. Contrasting demographic differences before and during the mating seasons suggest that C. emmae workers raise sexuals in peripheric nest chambers to reduce intracolonial conflicts. The high genetic differentiation recovered from the mtDNA haplotypes, together with the significant correlation of such to geographic distance, and presence of new nuclear alleles between areas (valleys) suggest long-term historical isolation between these regions, indicative of limited dispersal at the regional scale. Our findings on the ecological, social and population structure of this species increases our understanding of the patterns and processes involved under independent colony foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Jowers
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
- Departmento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Laurianne Leniaud
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Samer Alasaad
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Stephane Caut
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Amor
- Departamento de Etología y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Serge Aron
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Raphaël R. Boulay
- Departmento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- IRBI, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France
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11
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Doums C, Cronin AL, Ruel C, Fédérici P, Haussy C, Tirard C, Monnin T. Facultative use of thelytokous parthenogenesis for queen production in the polyandrous ant Cataglyphis cursor. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1431-44. [PMID: 23639217 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary paradox of sex remains one of the major debates in evolutionary biology. The study of species capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction can elucidate factors important in the evolution of sex. One such species is the ant Cataglyphis cursor, where the queen maximizes the transmission of her genes by producing new queens (gynes) asexually while simultaneously maintaining a genetically diverse workforce via the sexual production of workers. We show that the queen can also produce gynes sexually and may do so to offset the costs of asexual reproduction. We genotyped 235 gynes from 18 colonies and found that half were sexually produced. A few colonies contained both sexually and asexually produced gynes. Although workers in this species can also use thelytoky, we found no evidence of worker production of gynes based on genotypes of 471 workers from the six colonies producing sexual gynes. Gynes are thus mainly, and potentially exclusively, produced by the queen. Simulations of gynes inbreeding level following one to ten generations of automictic thelytoky suggest that the queen switches between or combines thelytoky and sex, which may reduce the costs of inbreeding. This is supported by the relatively small size of inbred gynes in one colony, although we found no relationship between the level of inbreeding and immune parameters. Such facultative use of sex and thelytoky by individual queens contrasts with other known forms of parthenogenesis in ants, which are typically characterized by distinct lineages specializing in one strategy or the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Doums
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
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12
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Eyer PA, Freyer J, Aron S. Genetic polyethism in the polyandrous desert ant Cataglyphis cursor. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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14
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Leniaud L, Darras H, Boulay R, Aron S. Social hybridogenesis in the clonal ant Cataglyphis hispanica. Curr Biol 2012; 22:1188-93. [PMID: 22683263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
With a few rare exceptions, the vast majority of animals reproduce sexually. Some species have, however, evolved alternative modes of reproduction by shifting from classical bisexuality to unorthodox reproductive systems, like parthenogenesis, gynogenesis, or hybridogenesis. Under hybridogenesis, both the maternal and paternal genomes are expressed in somatic tissues, whereas the germline is purely maternal. Recently, a form of hybridogenesis at the level of the society has been reported in some ants, where purebred females develop into reproductive queens and interlineage hybrids into sterile workers. Here, we report a unique case of social hybridogenesis in the desert ant Cataglyphis hispanica. Workers are produced exclusively from interbreeding between two distinct genetic lineages, whereas male and female sexuals are produced by asexual reproduction through parthenogenesis. As a consequence, all workers are pure hybridogens, and only maternal genes are perpetuated from one generation to the next. Thus, queens of C. hispanica use sexual reproduction for colony growth, whereas they reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis for germline production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurianne Leniaud
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, CP 160/12, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
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15
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Wenseleers T, Van Oystaeyen A. Unusual modes of reproduction in social insects: shedding light on the evolutionary paradox of sex. Bioessays 2011; 33:927-37. [PMID: 21997278 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201100096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The study of alternative genetic systems and mixed modes of reproduction, whereby sexual and asexual reproduction is combined within the same lifecycle, is of fundamental importance as they may shed light on classical evolutionary issues, such as the paradox of sex. Recently, several such cases were discovered in social insects. A closer examination of these systems has revealed many amazing facts, including the mixed use of asexual and sexual reproduction for the production of new queens and workers, males that can clone themselves and the routine use of incest without deleterious genetic consequences. In addition, in several species, remarkable cases of asexually reproducing socially parasitic worker lineages have been discovered. The study of these unusual systems promises to provide insight into many basic evolutionary questions, including the maintenance of sex, the expression of sexual conflict and kin conflict and the evolution of cheating in asexual lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Entomology, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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LENIAUD LAURIANNE, HEFTEZ ABRAHAM, GRUMIAU LAURENT, ARON SERGE. Multiple mating and supercoloniality in Cataglyphis desert ants. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01772.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Cryptic sexual populations account for genetic diversity and ecological success in a widely distributed, asexual fungus-growing ant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:12366-71. [PMID: 21768368 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1105467108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex and recombination are central processes in life generating genetic diversity. Organisms that rely on asexual propagation risk extinction due to the loss of genetic diversity and the inability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The fungus-growing ant species Mycocepurus smithii was thought to be obligately asexual because only parthenogenetic populations have been collected from widely separated geographic localities. Nonetheless, M. smithii is ecologically successful, with the most extensive distribution and the highest population densities of any fungus-growing ant. Here we report that M. smithii actually consists of a mosaic of asexual and sexual populations that are nonrandomly distributed geographically. The sexual populations cluster along the Rio Amazonas and the Rio Negro and appear to be the source of independently evolved and widely distributed asexual lineages, or clones. Either apomixis or automixis with central fusion and low recombination rates is inferred to be the cytogenetic mechanism underlying parthenogenesis in M. smithii. Males appear to be entirely absent from asexual populations, but their existence in sexual populations is indicated by the presence of sperm in the reproductive tracts of queens. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus suggests that M. smithii is monophyletic, rendering a hybrid origin of asexuality unlikely. Instead, a mitochondrial phylogeny of sexual and asexual populations suggests multiple independent origins of asexual reproduction, and a divergence-dating analysis indicates that M. smithii evolved 0.5-1.65 million years ago. Understanding the evolutionary origin and maintenance of asexual reproduction in this species contributes to a general understanding of the adaptive significance of sex.
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Mattila HR, Seeley TD. Promiscuous honeybee queens generate colonies with a critical minority of waggle-dancing foragers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0904-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Rangel J, Mattila HR, Seeley TD. No intracolonial nepotism during colony fissioning in honey bees. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:3895-900. [PMID: 19692398 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most species of social insects have singly mated queens, but in some species each queen mates with numerous males to create a colony whose workers belong to multiple patrilines. This colony genetic structure creates a potential for intracolonial nepotism. One context with great potential for such nepotism arises in species, like honey bees, whose colonies reproduce by fissioning. During fissioning, workers might nepotistically choose between serving a young (sister) queen or the old (mother) queen, preferring the former if she is a full-sister but the latter if the young queen is only a half-sister. We examined three honeybee colonies that swarmed, and performed paternity analyses on the young (immature) queens and samples of workers who either stayed with the young queens in the nest or left with the mother queen in the swarm. For each colony, we checked whether patrilines represented by immature queens had higher proportions of staying workers than patrilines not represented by immature queens. We found no evidence of this. The absence of intracolonial nepotism during colony fissioning could be because the workers cannot discriminate between full-sister and half-sister queens when they are immature, or because the costs of behaving nepotistically outweigh the benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Rangel
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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