1
|
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.
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang J. A joint likelihood estimator of relatedness and allele frequencies from a small sample of individuals. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Wang
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London London UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kanyesigye D, Alibu VP, Tay WT, Nalela P, Paparu P, Olaboro S, Nkalubo ST, Kayondo IS, Silva G, Seal SE, Otim MH. Population Genetic Structure of the Bean Leaf Beetle Ootheca mutabilis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Uganda. INSECTS 2022; 13:543. [PMID: 35735880 PMCID: PMC9225125 DOI: 10.3390/insects13060543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bean leaf beetle (BLB) (Ootheca mutabilis) has emerged as an important bean pest in Uganda, leading to devastating crop losses. There is limited information on the population genetic structure of BLB despite its importance. In this study, novel microsatellite DNA markers and the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene sequences were used to analyze the spatial population genetic structure, genetic differentiation and haplotype diversity of 86 O. mutabilis samples from 16 (districts) populations. We identified 19,356 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) (mono, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotides) of which 81 di, tri and tetra-nucleotides were selected for primer synthesis. Five highly polymorphic SSR markers (4-21 alleles, heterozygosity 0.59-0.84, polymorphic information content (PIC) 50.13-83.14%) were used for this study. Analyses of the 16 O. mutabilis populations with these five novel SSRs found nearly all the genetic variation occurring within populations and there was no evidence of genetic differentiation detected for both types of markers. Also, there was no evidence of isolation by distance between geographical and genetic distances for SSR data and mtCOI data except in one agro-ecological zone for mtCOI data. Bayesian clustering identified a signature of admixture that suggests genetic contributions from two hypothetical ancestral genetic lineages for both types of markers, and the minimum-spanning haplotype network showed low differentiation in minor haplotypes from the most common haplotype with the most common haplotype occurring in all the 16 districts. A lack of genetic differentiation indicates unrestricted migrations between populations. This information will contribute to the design of BLB control strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalton Kanyesigye
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
| | - Vincent Pius Alibu
- College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda;
| | - Wee Tek Tay
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
| | - Polycarp Nalela
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Pamela Paparu
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Samuel Olaboro
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Stanley Tamusange Nkalubo
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Ismail Siraj Kayondo
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Oyo Rd., Ibadan 20001, Nigeria;
| | - Gonçalo Silva
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK; (G.S.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Susan E. Seal
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK; (G.S.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Michael Hilary Otim
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala P.O. Box 7084, Uganda; (D.K.); (P.N.); (P.P.); (S.O.); (S.T.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fast and accurate population admixture inference from genotype data from a few microsatellites to millions of SNPs. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:79-92. [PMID: 35508539 PMCID: PMC9338324 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00535-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Model-based (likelihood and Bayesian) and non-model-based (PCA and K-means clustering) methods were developed to identify populations and assign individuals to the identified populations using marker genotype data. Model-based methods are favoured because they are based on a probabilistic model of population genetics with biologically meaningful parameters and thus produce results that are easily interpretable and applicable. Furthermore, they often yield more accurate structure inferences than non-model-based methods. However, current model-based methods either are computationally demanding and thus applicable to small problems only or use simplified admixture models that could yield inaccurate results in difficult situations such as unbalanced sampling. In this study, I propose new likelihood methods for fast and accurate population admixture inference using genotype data from a few multiallelic microsatellites to millions of diallelic SNPs. The methods conduct first a clustering analysis of coarse-grained population structure by using the mixture model and the simulated annealing algorithm, and then an admixture analysis of fine-grained population structure by using the clustering results as a starting point in an expectation maximisation algorithm. Extensive analyses of both simulated and empirical data show that the new methods compare favourably with existing methods in both accuracy and running speed. They can analyse small datasets with just a few multiallelic microsatellites but can also handle in parallel terabytes of data with millions of markers and millions of individuals. In difficult situations such as many and/or lowly differentiated populations, unbalanced or very small samples of individuals, the new methods are substantially more accurate than other methods.
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang J. Pedigree reconstruction from poor quality genotype data. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 122:719-728. [PMID: 30631146 PMCID: PMC6781133 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0178-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marker genotype data could suffer from a high rate of errors such as false alleles and allelic dropouts (null alleles) in situations such as SNPs from low-coverage next-generation sequencing and microsatellites from noninvasive samples. Use of such data without accounting for mistyping properly could lead to inaccurate or incorrect inferences of family relationships such as parentage and sibship. This study shows that markers with a high error rate are still informative. Simply discarding them could cause a substantial loss of precious information, and is impractical in situations where virtually all markers (e.g. SNPs from low-coverage next-generation sequencing, microsatellites from noninvasive samples) suffer from a similarly high error rate. This study also shows that some previous error models are valid for markers of low error rates, but fail for markers of high error rates. It proposes an improved error model and demonstrates, using simulated and empirical data of a high error rate (say, >0.5), that it leads to more accurate sibship and parentage inferences than previous models. It suggests that, in reality, markers of high error rates should be used rather than discarded in pedigree reconstruction, so long as the error rates can be estimated and used properly in the analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Wang
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Wang
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of London London UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
|
8
|
Peso M, Elgar MA, Barron AB. Pheromonal control: reconciling physiological mechanism with signalling theory. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:542-59. [PMID: 24925630 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are intraspecific chemical signals. They can have profound effects on the behaviour and/or physiology of the receiver, and it is still common to hear pheromones described as controlling of the behaviour of the receiver. The discussion of pheromonal control arose initially from a close association between hormones and pheromones in the comparative physiological literature, but the concept of a controlling pheromone is at odds with contemporary signal evolution theory, which predicts that a manipulative pheromonal signal negatively affecting the receiver's fitness should not be stable over evolutionary time. Here we discuss the meaning of pheromonal control, and the ecological circumstances by which it might be supported. We argue that in discussing pheromonal control it is important to differentiate between control applied to the effects of a pheromone on a receiver's physiology (proximate control), and control applied to the effects of a pheromone on a receiver's fitness (ultimate control). Critically, a pheromone signal affecting change in the receiver's behaviour or physiology need not necessarily manipulate the fitness of a receiver. In cases where pheromonal signalling does lead to a reduction in the fitness of the receiver, the signalling system would be stable if the pheromone were an honest signal of a social environment that disadvantages the receiver, and the physiological and behavioural changes observed in the receiver were an adaptive response to the new social circumstances communicated by the pheromone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Peso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Building E8A, Eastern Road, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Muralidhar P, de Sá FP, Haddad CFB, Zamudio KR. Kin-bias, breeding site selection and female fitness in a cannibalistic Neotropical frog. Mol Ecol 2013; 23:453-63. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Muralidhar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - F. P. de Sá
- Departamento de Zoologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Cx; Postal 199 13506-900 Rio Claro São Paulo Brazil
| | - C. F. B. Haddad
- Departamento de Zoologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Cx; Postal 199 13506-900 Rio Claro São Paulo Brazil
| | - K. R. Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ingram KK, Pilko A, Heer J, Gordon DM. Colony life history and lifetime reproductive success of red harvester ant colonies. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:540-50. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krista K. Ingram
- Department of Biology; Colgate University; Hamilton; NY; 13346; USA
| | - Anna Pilko
- Department of Biology; Stanford University; Stanford; CA; 94305-5020; USA
| | - Jeffrey Heer
- Department of Computer Science; Stanford University; Stanford; CA; 94305-5020; USA
| | - Deborah M. Gordon
- Department of Biology; Stanford University; Stanford; CA; 94305-5020; USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Friend LA, Bourke AFG. Absence of Within-Colony Kin Discrimination in a Multiple-Queen Ant,Leptothorax acervorum. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A. Friend
- School of Biological Sciences; University of East Anglia; Norwich Research Park, Norwich; Norfolk; NR4 7TJ; UK
| | - Andrew F. G. Bourke
- School of Biological Sciences; University of East Anglia; Norwich Research Park, Norwich; Norfolk; NR4 7TJ; UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Quite a few methods have been proposed to infer sibship and parentage among individuals from their multilocus marker genotypes. They are all based on Mendelian laws either qualitatively (exclusion methods) or quantitatively (likelihood methods), have different optimization criteria, and use different algorithms in searching for the optimal solution. The full-likelihood method assigns sibship and parentage relationships among all sampled individuals jointly. It is by far the most accurate method, but is computationally prohibitive for large data sets with many individuals and many loci. In this article I propose a new likelihood-based method that is computationally efficient enough to handle large data sets. The method uses the sum of the log likelihoods of pairwise relationships in a configuration as the score to measure its plausibility, where log likelihoods of pairwise relationships are calculated only once and stored for repeated use. By analyzing several empirical and many simulated data sets, I show that the new method is more accurate than pairwise likelihood and exclusion-based methods, but is slightly less accurate than the full-likelihood method. However, the new method is computationally much more efficient than the full-likelihood method, and for the cases of both sexes polygamous and markers with genotyping errors, it can be several orders faster. The new method can handle a large sample with thousands of individuals and the number of markers limited only by the computer memory.
Collapse
|
13
|
QIAN ZENGQIANG, SCHLÜNS HELGE, SCHLICK-STEINER BIRGITC, STEINER FLORIANM, ROBSON SIMONKA, SCHLÜNS ELLENA, CROZIER ROSSH. Intraspecific support for the polygyny-vs.-polyandry hypothesis in the bulldog ant Myrmecia brevinoda. Mol Ecol 2011; 20:3681-91. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05195.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
14
|
Abstract
Understanding which parties regulate reproduction is fundamental to understanding conflict resolution in animal societies. In social insects, workers can influence male production and sex ratio. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated worker influence over which queen(s) reproduce(s) in multiple queen (MQ) colonies (skew), despite skew determining worker-brood relatedness and so worker fitness. We provide evidence for worker influence over skew in a functionally monogynous population of the ant Leptothorax acervorum. Observations of MQ colonies leading up to egg laying showed worker aggressive and non-aggressive behaviour towards queens and predicted which queen monopolized reproduction. In contrast, among-queen interactions were rare and did not predict queen reproduction. Furthermore, parentage analysis showed workers favoured their mother when present, ensuring closely related fullsibs (average r = 0.5) were reared instead of less related offspring of other resident queens (r ≤ 0.375). Discrimination among queens using relatedness-based cues, however, seems unlikely as workers also biased their behaviour in colonies without a mother queen. In other polygynous populations of this species, workers are not aggressive towards queens and MQs reproduce, showing the outcome of social conflicts varies within species. In conclusion, this study supports non-reproductive parties having the power and information to influence skew within cooperative breeding groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Umbers KDL, Holwell GI, Stow AJ, Herberstein ME. Molecular evidence for variation in polyandry among praying mantids (Mantodea:
Ciulfina
). J Zool (1987) 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00779.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. D. L. Umbers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G. I. Holwell
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - A. J. Stow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M. E. Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Oppelt A, Humann FC, Fuessl M, Azevedo SV, Marco Antonio DS, Heinze J, Hartfelder K. Suppression subtractive hybridization analysis reveals expression of conserved and novel genes in male accessory glands of the ant Leptothorax gredleri. BMC Evol Biol 2010; 10:273. [PMID: 20825642 PMCID: PMC2949867 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2010] [Accepted: 09/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During mating, insect males eject accessory gland proteins (Acps) into the female genital tract. These substances are known to affect female post-mating behavior and physiology. In addition, they may harm the female, e.g., in reducing its lifespan. This is interpreted as a consequence of sexual antagonistic co-evolution. Whereas sexual conflict abounds in non-social species, the peculiar life history of social insects (ants, bees, wasps) with lifelong pair-bonding and no re-mating aligns the reproductive interests of the sexes. Harming the female during mating would negatively affect male fitness and sexual antagonism is therefore not expected. Indeed, mating appears to increase female longevity in at least one ant species. Acps are presumed to play a role in this phenomenon, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we investigated genes, which are preferentially expressed in male accessory glands of the ant Leptothorax gredleri, to determine which proteins might be transferred in the seminal fluid. Results By a suppression subtractive hybridization protocol we obtained 20 unique sequences (USs). Twelve had mutual best matches with genes predicted for Apis mellifera and Nasonia vitripennis. Functional information (Gene Ontology) was available only for seven of these, including intracellular signaling, energy-dependent transport and metabolic enzyme activities. The remaining eight USs did not match sequences from other species. Six genes were further analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR in three life cycle stages of male ants. A gene with carboxy-lyase activity and one of unpredicted function were significantly overexpressed in accessory glands of sexually mature males. Conclusions Our study is the first one to investigate differential gene expression in ants in a context related to mating. Our findings indicate that male accessory glands of L. gredleri express a series of genes that are unique to this species, possibly representing novel genes, in addition to conserved ones for which functions can be predicted. Identifying differentially expressed genes might help to better understand molecular mechanisms involved in reproductive processes in eusocial Hymenoptera. While the novel genes could account for rapidly evolving ones driven by intra-sexual conflict between males, conserved genes imply that rather beneficial traits might get fixed by a process described as inter-sexual cooperation between males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Oppelt
- Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstr 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gill RJ, Arce A, Keller L, Hammond RL. Polymorphic social organization in an ant. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:4423-31. [PMID: 19793758 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying species exhibiting variation in social organization is an important step towards explaining the genetic and environmental factors underlying social evolution. In most studied populations of the ant Leptothorax acervorum, reproduction is shared among queens in multiple queen colonies (polygyny). By contrast, reports from other populations, but based on weaker evidence, suggest a single queen may monopolize all reproduction in multiple queen colonies (functional monogyny). Here we identify a marked polymorphism in social organization in this species, by conclusively showing that functional monogyny is exhibited in a Spanish population, showing that the social organization is stable and not purely a consequence of daughter queens overwintering, that daughter queen re-adoption is frequent and queen turnover is low. Importantly, we show that polygynous and functionally monogynous populations are not genetically distinct from one another based on mtDNA and nDNA. This suggests a recent evolutionary divergence between social phenotypes. Finally, when functionally monogynous and polygynous colonies were kept under identical laboratory conditions, social organization did not change, suggesting a genetic basis for the polymorphism. We discuss the implications of these findings to the study of reproductive skew.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU67RX, UK
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cournault L, Aron S. Diploid males, diploid sperm production, and triploid females in the ant Tapinoma erraticum. Naturwissenschaften 2009; 96:1393-400. [PMID: 19641895 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0590-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2009] [Revised: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Under complementary sex determination (CSD), females of Hymenoptera arise from diploid, fertilized eggs and males from haploid, unfertilized eggs. Incidentally, fertilized eggs that inherit two identical alleles at the CSD locus will develop into diploid males. Diploid males are usually unviable or sterile. In a few species, however, they produce diploid sperm and father a triploid female progeny. Diploid males have been reported in a number of social Hymenoptera, but the occurrence of triploid females has hardly ever been documented. Here, we report the presence of triploid females, diploid males, and diploid sperm (produced by diploid males and stored in queen spermathecae) in the ant Tapinoma erraticum. Moreover, we show variations in the frequency of triploids among female castes: Triploid females are more frequent among workers than virgin queens; they are absent among mated, reproductive queens. The frequency of triploid workers also varies between populations and between nests within populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Cournault
- Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/12 50, av. F.D. Roosevelt, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
ASHLEY MV, CABALLERO IC, CHAOVALITWONGSE W, DASGUPTA B, GOVINDAN P, SHEIKH SI, BERGER-WOLF TY. KINALYZER, a computer program for reconstructing sibling groups. Mol Ecol Resour 2009; 9:1127-31. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02562.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
20
|
Hammond RL, Bruford MW, Bourke AFG. Male parentage does not vary with colony kin structure in a multiple‐queen ant. J Evol Biol 2008; 16:446-55. [PMID: 14635844 DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00544.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Kin selection theory predicts that, in social Hymenoptera, the parentage of males should be determined by within-colony relatedness. We present a model showing that, when sex ratios are split (bimodal) as a function of colony kin structure, the predictions of kin selection theory regarding the occurrence of worker reproduction and policing (prevention of worker reproduction) require modification. To test the predictions of kin selection theory and our model, we estimated using microsatellites the frequency of worker-produced male eggs and adults in the facultatively polygynous (multiple-queen) ant Leptothorax acervorum. Analysis of 210 male eggs and 328 adult males from 13 monogynous (single-queen) and nine polygynous colonies demonstrated that the frequency of worker-produced males was low (2.3-4.6% of all males) and did not differ significantly between colony classes or between eggs and adults. This suggested workers' self-restraint as the cause of infrequent worker reproduction in both colony classes. Such an outcome is not predicted either by comparing relatedness values or by our model. Therefore, it appears that factors other than colony kin structure and sex ratio effects determine the pattern of male parentage in the study population. A likely factor is a colony-level cost of worker reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R L Hammond
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Simmons LW, Beveridge M, Kennington WJ. Polyandry in the wild: temporal changes in female mating frequency and sperm competition intensity in natural populations of the tettigoniidRequena verticalis. Mol Ecol 2007; 16:4613-23. [PMID: 17887967 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03528.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Empirical tests of sexual selection theory generally utilize model systems under laboratory settings, and extend conclusions to evolutionary processes occurring in nature. The biological significance of laboratory findings will depend largely on the mating rates of females and patterns of paternity in natural populations, information on which is generally lacking. Here we use microsatellite markers to provide rare estimates of female mating rates and patterns of parentage in a species of tettigoniid, Requena verticalis, which has been used extensively to test theory on the evolution of male parental investment and its influence on the direction of sexual selection. We found that although the number of males having a genetic representation in the female's sperm stores was higher for females collected late in the breeding season than those collected early in the season, overall the female mating rate was lower than that expected from laboratory observations. Analysis of parentage of offspring produced by females at the end of the breeding season revealed that all males represented in the sperm stores fathered offspring, although paternity was biased away from that expected from random sperm utilization. The data show that the complete first male sperm precedence documented in laboratory studies of this species does not persist in natural populations. Our data provide a solid underpinning for conclusions drawn from laboratory studies of this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Song SD, Drew RAI, Hughes JM. Multiple paternity in a natural population of a wild tobacco fly, Bactrocera cacuminata (Diptera: Tephritidae), assessed by microsatellite DNA markers. Mol Ecol 2007; 16:2353-61. [PMID: 17561896 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03277.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mating frequency has important implications for patterns of sexual selection and sexual conflict and hence for issues such as speciation and the maintenance of genetic diversity. Knowledge of natural mating patterns can also lead to more effective control of pest tephritid species, in which suppression programmes, such as the sterile insect technique (SIT) are employed. Multiple mating by females may compromise the success of SIT. We investigated the level of polyandry and sperm utilization in a Brisbane field population of the tropical fruit fly, Bactrocera cacuminata (Hering), using seven polymorphic microsatellite loci. The offspring of 22 wild-caught gravid females were genotyped to determine the number of males siring each brood and paternity skew, using the programs gerud and scare. Our data showed that 22.7% of females produced offspring sired by at least two males. The mean number of mates per female was 1.72. Paternal contributions of double-sired broods were skewed with the most successful male having sired between 76.9% and 87.5% of the offspring. These results have implications for SIT, because the level of remating we have identified would indicate that wild females could mate with one or more resident fertile males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon D Song
- Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
|
24
|
van Wilgenburg E, Driessen G, Beukeboom LW. Single locus complementary sex determination in Hymenoptera: an "unintelligent" design? Front Zool 2006; 3:1. [PMID: 16393347 PMCID: PMC1360072 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-3-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2005] [Accepted: 01/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The haplodiploid sex determining mechanism in Hymenoptera (males are haploid, females are diploid) has played an important role in the evolution of this insect order. In Hymenoptera sex is usually determined by a single locus, heterozygotes are female and hemizygotes are male. Under inbreeding, homozygous diploid and sterile males occur which form a genetic burden for a population. We review life history and genetical traits that may overcome the disadvantages of single locus complementary sex determination (sl-CSD). Behavioural adaptations to avoid matings between relatives include active dispersal from natal patches and mating preferences for non-relatives. In non-social species, temporal and spatial segregation of male and female offspring reduces the burden of sl-CSD. In social species, diploid males are produced at the expense of workers and female reproductives. In some social species, diploid males and diploid male producing queens are killed by workers. Diploid male production may have played a role in the evolution or maintenance of polygyny (multiple queens) and polyandry (multiple mating). Some forms of thelytoky (parthenogenetic female production) increase homozygosity and are therefore incompatible with sl-CSD. We discuss a number of hypothetical adaptations to sl-CSD which should be considered in future studies of this insect order.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen van Wilgenburg
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
- Institute of Biology Leiden, University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9516, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard Driessen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9516, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Leo W Beukeboom
- Evolutionary Genetics, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, NL-9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9516, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
DALECKY AMBROISE, GAUME LAURENCE, SCHATZ BERTRAND, MCKEY DOYLE, KJELLBERG FINN. Facultative polygyny in the plant-ant Petalomyrmex phylax (Hymenoptera: Formicinae): sociogenetic and ecological determinants of queen number. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2005.00524.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
26
|
Naud MJ, Shaw PW, Hanlon RT, Havenhand JN. Evidence for biased use of sperm sources in wild female giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama). Proc Biol Sci 2005; 272:1047-51. [PMID: 16024363 PMCID: PMC1599881 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2004.3031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In species where females store sperm from their mates prior to fertilization, sperm competition is particularly probable. Female Sepia apama are polyandrous and have access to sperm from packages (spermatangia) deposited by males onto their buccal area during mating and to sperm stored in internal sperm-storage organs (receptacles) located below the beak. Here, we describe the structure of the sperm stores in the female's buccal area, use microsatellite DNA analyses to determine the genetic diversity of stored sperm and combine these data with offspring genotypes to determine the storage location of paternal sperm. The number of male genotypes represented in the sperm receptacles was significantly lower than that found among the spermatangia. Estimation of the volumes of sperm contained in the receptacles and the spermatangia were statistically comparable; however, paternal sperm were more likely to have come from spermatangia than from the sperm receptacles. These results confirm a genetic polyandrous mating system in this species and suggest that fertilization pattern with respect to the sperm stores used is not random.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-José Naud
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders UniversityGPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of LondonEgham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
- Author for correspondence ()
| | - Paul W Shaw
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of LondonEgham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Roger T Hanlon
- Marine Resources Center, Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Jon N Havenhand
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders UniversityGPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Mating rate has important implications for patterns of sexual selection and sexual conflict and hence for issues such as speciation and the maintenance of genetic diversity. Knowledge of natural mating rates can provide insights into the factors driving female mating behaviour. We investigated the level of polyandry in a Spanish population of the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus using microsatellite markers. Two approaches were employed: (i) genotyping the offspring of wild-caught gravid females to determine the number of males siring the brood and (ii) genotyping sperm stored in the spermathecae of females mated in the wild to estimate the number of mating partners. We compared existing methods for inferring the minimum and probable number of fathers and described a novel probabilistic technique estimating the number of mates by genotyping stored sperm. Using the most conservative allele-counting method, 71% of females produced offspring sired by at least two males (a minimum mean of 2.4 fathers per clutch), and all females had mated to at least two males with minimum mean estimates of 2.7-5.1 mates per female. Our study reveals high levels of polyandry in the wild and suggests that females mate with more males than sire their offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Bretman
- Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Likelihood methods have been developed to partition individuals in a sample into full-sib and half-sib families using genetic marker data without parental information. They invariably make the critical assumption that marker data are free of genotyping errors and mutations and are thus completely reliable in inferring sibships. Unfortunately, however, this assumption is rarely tenable for virtually all kinds of genetic markers in practical use and, if violated, can severely bias sibship estimates as shown by simulations in this article. I propose a new likelihood method with simple and robust models of typing error incorporated into it. Simulations show that the new method can be used to infer full- and half-sibships accurately from marker data with a high error rate and to identify typing errors at each locus in each reconstructed sib family. The new method also improves previous ones by adopting a fresh iterative procedure for updating allele frequencies with reconstructed sibships taken into account, by allowing for the use of parental information, and by using efficient algorithms for calculating the likelihood function and searching for the maximum-likelihood configuration. It is tested extensively on simulated data with a varying number of marker loci, different rates of typing errors, and various sample sizes and family structures and applied to two empirical data sets to demonstrate its usefulness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Wang
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Schrempf A, Reber C, Tinaut A, Heinze J. Inbreeding and local mate competition in the ant Cardiocondyla batesii. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-004-0869-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
30
|
Denny AJ, Franks NR, Edwards KJ. Eight highly polymorphic microsatellite markers for the army ant Eciton burchellii. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2004.00627.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
31
|
Abstract
Abstract
Likelihood methods have been developed to partition individuals in a sample into full-sib and half-sib families using genetic marker data without parental information. They invariably make the critical assumption that marker data are free of genotyping errors and mutations and are thus completely reliable in inferring sibships. Unfortunately, however, this assumption is rarely tenable for virtually all kinds of genetic markers in practical use and, if violated, can severely bias sibship estimates as shown by simulations in this article. I propose a new likelihood method with simple and robust models of typing error incorporated into it. Simulations show that the new method can be used to infer full- and half-sibships accurately from marker data with a high error rate and to identify typing errors at each locus in each reconstructed sib family. The new method also improves previous ones by adopting a fresh iterative procedure for updating allele frequencies with reconstructed sibships taken into account, by allowing for the use of parental information, and by using efficient algorithms for calculating the likelihood function and searching for the maximum-likelihood configuration. It is tested extensively on simulated data with a varying number of marker loci, different rates of typing errors, and various sample sizes and family structures and applied to two empirical data sets to demonstrate its usefulness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Wang
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Hammond RL, Bruford MW, Bourke AFG. Ant workers selfishly bias sex ratios by manipulating female development. Proc Biol Sci 2002; 269:173-8. [PMID: 11798433 PMCID: PMC1690877 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Kin selection theory predicts that social insects should perform selfish manipulations as a function of colony genetic structure. We describe a novel mechanism by which this occurs. First, we use microsatellite analyses to show that, in a population of the ant Leptothorax acervorum, workers' relatedness asymmetry (ratio of relatedness to females and relatedness to males) is significantly higher in monogynous (single-queen) colonies than in polygynous (multiple-queen) colonies. Workers rear mainly queens in monogynous colonies and males in polygynous colonies. Therefore, split sex ratios in this population are correlated with workers' relatedness asymmetry. Together with significant female bias in the population numerical and investment sex ratios, this finding strongly supports kin-selection theory. Second, by determining the primary sex ratio using microsatellite markers to sex eggs, we show that the ratio of male to female eggs is the same in both monogynous and polygynous colonies and equals the overall ratio of haploids (males) to diploids (queens and workers) among adults. In contrast to workers of species with selective destruction of male brood, L. acervorum workers therefore rear eggs randomly with respect to sex and must achieve their favoured sex ratios by selectively biasing the final caste (queen or worker) of developing females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R L Hammond
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|