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Wagner HC, Gamisch A, Arthofer W, Moder K, Steiner FM, Schlick-Steiner BC. Evolution of morphological crypsis in the Tetramorium caespitum ant species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sci Rep 2018; 8:12547. [PMID: 30135509 PMCID: PMC6105586 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30890-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptic species are morphologically very similar to each other. To what extent stasis or convergence causes crypsis and whether ecology influences the evolution of crypsis has remained unclear. The Tetramorium caespitum complex is one of the most intricate examples of cryptic species in ants. Here, we test three hypotheses concerning the evolution of its crypsis: H1: The complex is monophyletic. H2: Morphology resulted from evolutionary stasis. H3: Ecology and morphology evolved concertedly. We confirmed (H1) monophyly of the complex; (H2) a positive relation between morphological and phylogenetic distances, which indicates a very slow loss of similarity over time and thus stasis; and (H3) a positive relation between only one morphological character and a proxy of the ecological niche, which indicates concerted evolution of these two characters, as well as a negative relation between p-values of correct species identification and altitude, which suggests that species occurring in higher altitudes are more cryptic. Our data suggest that species-specific morphological adaptations to the ecological niche are exceptions in the complex, and we consider the worker morphology in this complex as an adaptive solution for various environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert C Wagner
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Alexander Gamisch
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karl Moder
- Institute for Applied Statistics and Computing, Department of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82/I, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian M Steiner
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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