Kin selection and the problem of sperm utilization in social insects

Nature ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 323 (6091) ◽  
pp. 798-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth G. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Social Insects ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Sperm Utilization

scholarly journals Kin selection, genomics and caste-antagonistic pleiotropy

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 20130309 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Hall ◽  
Soojin V. Yi ◽  
Michael A. D. Goodisman
Keyword(s):  
Social Insects ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Multiple Mating ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Single Locus ◽  
Antagonistic Pleiotropy ◽  
Important Process ◽  
Caste Evolution ◽  
Worker Caste ◽  
Social Behaviours

Kin selection is a fundamentally important process that affects the evolution of social behaviours. The genomics revolution now provides the opportunity to test kin selection theory using genomic data. In this commentary, we discuss previous studies that explored the link between kin selection and patterns of variation within the genome. We then present a new theory aimed at understanding the evolution of genes involved in the development of social insects. Specifically, we investigate caste-antagonistic pleiotropy, which occurs when the phenotypes of distinct castes are optimized by different genotypes at a single locus. We find that caste-antagonistic pleiotropy leads to narrow regions where polymorphism can be maintained. Furthermore, multiple mating by queens reduces the region in which worker-favoured alleles fix, which suggests that multiple mating impedes worker caste evolution. We conclude by discussing ways to test these and other facets of kin selection using newly emerging genomic data.

scholarly journals Testing the kinship theory of intragenomic conflict in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1020-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Galbraith ◽  
Sarah D. Kocher ◽  
Tom Glenn ◽  
Istvan Albert ◽  
Greg J. Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Worker Reproduction ◽  
Intragenomic Conflict ◽  
Genetic Stocks ◽  
Specific Prediction ◽  
Kinship Theory ◽  
General Prediction

Sexual reproduction brings genes from two parents (matrigenes and patrigenes) together into one individual. These genes, despite being unrelated, should show nearly perfect cooperation because each gains equally through the production of offspring. However, an individual’s matrigenes and patrigenes can have different probabilities of being present in other relatives, so kin selection could act on them differently. Such intragenomic conflict could be implemented by partial or complete silencing (imprinting) of an allele by one of the parents. Evidence supporting this theory is seen in offspring–mother interactions, with patrigenes favoring acquisition of more of the mother's resources if some of the costs fall on half-siblings who do not share the patrigene. The kinship theory of intragenomic conflict is little tested in other contexts, but it predicts that matrigene–patrigene conflict may be rife in social insects. We tested the hypothesis that honey bee worker reproduction is promoted more by patrigenes than matrigenes by comparing across nine reciprocal crosses of two distinct genetic stocks. As predicted, hybrid workers show reproductive trait characteristics of their paternal stock, (indicating enhanced activity of the patrigenes on these traits), greater patrigenic than matrigenic expression, and significantly increased patrigenic-biased expression in reproductive workers. These results support both the general prediction that matrigene–patrigene conflict occurs in social insects and the specific prediction that honey bee worker reproduction is driven more by patrigenes. The success of these predictions suggests that intragenomic conflict may occur in many contexts where matrigenes and patrigenes have different relatednesses to affected kin.

scholarly journals Reciprocal mimicry: kin selection can drive defended prey to resemble their Batesian mimics

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1890) ◽  
pp. 20181149
Author(s):  
Øistein Haugsten Holen ◽  
Rufus A. Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Batesian Mimicry ◽  
Individual Selection ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Detection Model ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Aggressive Attack ◽  
Over Time

Established mimicry theory predicts that Batesian mimics are selected to resemble their defended models, while models are selected to become dissimilar from their mimics. However, this theory has mainly considered individual selection acting on solitary organisms such as adult butterflies. Although Batesian mimicry of social insects is common, the few existing applications of kin selection theory to mimicry have emphasized relatedness among mimics rather than among models. Here, we present a signal detection model of Batesian mimicry in which the population of defended model prey is kin structured. Our analysis shows for most of parameter space that increased average dissimilarity from mimics has a twofold group-level cost for the model prey: it attracts more predators and these adopt more aggressive attack strategies. When mimetic resemblance and local relatedness are sufficiently high, such costs acting in the local neighbourhood may outweigh the individual benefits of dissimilarity, causing kin selection to drive the models to resemble their mimics. This requires model prey to be more common than mimics and/or well-defended, the conditions under which Batesian mimicry is thought most successful. Local relatedness makes defended prey easier targets for Batesian mimicry and is likely to stabilize the mimetic relationship over time.

scholarly journals Kin Selection and Social Insects

BioScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Queller ◽  
Joan E. Strassmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Insects ◽  
Kin Selection

Social Insects and Evolution

1894 ◽  
Vol 38 (987supp) ◽  
pp. 15780-15781
Author(s):  
C. V. Riley
Keyword(s):  
Social Insects
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