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Serial polygyny in Ropalidia marginata: Implications for the evolution of eusociality.

Gadagkar, R. and Chandrashekara, K. and Chandran, S. and Bhagavan, S. (1990) Serial polygyny in Ropalidia marginata: Implications for the evolution of eusociality. [Book Chapter]

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Abstract

Social insects usually live in colonies comprising one or a small number of reproductive individuals and a few or large number of sterile individuals. In termites only, both sexes are represented among the reproductives as well as among the sterile workers. In other social insects, namely ants, bees, and wasps, males do not participate significantly in the social life of colonies, which involves primarily the fertile queens and sterile female workers (Wilson 1971). The haplodiploid genetic system found universally in the Hymenoptera creates an asymmetry in genetic relatedness such that a female is more closely related to her full sister (coefficient of genetic relatedness, r = 0.75) than to her offspring (r = 0.5). This makes inclusive fitness theory (Hamilton, 19640, b) particularly applicable to the evolution of sterile worker castes in the social hymenoptera (Wilson 1971; Hamilton 1972).

Item Type: Book Chapter
Series.: Proceedings of 11th International Congress of IUSSI, Bangalore, India
Publisher: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.
Department/Centre: Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences
Date Deposited: 19 Jan 2024 10:01
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2024 10:01
URI: https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/83599

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