Ecological change and conflict reduction led to a social circulatory system in ants

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 8(1)

Published: Feb. 16, 2025

Abstract Behavioral innovations can be ecologically transformative for lineages that perform them and their associated communities. Many dominant, superorganismal, speciose ant use mouth-to-mouth social regurgitation behavior – stomodeal trophallaxis to share exogenous endogenous materials within colonies. This is less common in other species-poor, cooperative lineages. How why evolved fixed only some clades remains unclear, whether this trait could indicative of superorganismality has yet established. Here we show two main events, non-doryline formicoids around 130 Ma ponerines 90 Ma, today encompass 86% all species. We found began drinking sugary liquids had reduced intra-colonial conflict by constraining worker reproductive potential. Evolution increased net diversification. Causal models indicate required low contributed the large colony sizes ants it. suggests evolution was enabled both reduction opportunistic inclusion nectar honeydew diet during shifts terrestrial ecosystems toward flowering plants.

Language: Английский

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Innovation in ant larval feeding facilitated queen–worker divergence and social complexity

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(9)

Published: Feb. 25, 2025

Building differences between genetically equivalent units is a fundamental challenge for all multicellular organisms and superorganisms. In ants, reproductive or worker fate typically determined during the larval stage, through feeding regimes managed by adult caretakers. However, care provided to larvae varies significantly across as does phenotypic divergence queen castes. Here, we employed comparative phylogenetic methods causal inference investigate relationships care, caste size dimorphism, social complexity ant diversity. We digitized life’s work of George Jeanette Wheeler, cataloging morphology over 700 species, compiled data on species diets behaviors from literature our own observations. measured queen–worker dimorphism in 392 gathered colony size, polymorphism, reproduction. Our analyses revealed that ancestral active-feeding evolved passive morphologies when adults began them individually, with processed material often following shift nonpredatory diets. Greater coevolved passiveness, alongside traits indicative increased complexity, including larger sizes, subcastes, reduction workers’ potential. Likelihood comparisons models support extended alloparental facilitated stronger which, turn along promoted higher complexity. results suggest enhanced control development enabled greater specialization within colonies, profound implications evolution.

Language: Английский

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Power and Efficiency in Living Systems

Sci, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 6(2), P. 28 - 28

Published: May 6, 2024

Energy transformation powers change in the universe. In physical systems, maximal power (rate of energy input or output) may occur only at submaximal efficiency (output/input), conversely, power. My review and living systems various levels biological organization reveals that (1) trade-offs (negative correlations) between efficiency, as expected chiefly for resource-supply systems; (2) synergy (positive occurs resource use which result from (a) increasing allocation to production versus maintenance rate increases (b) natural selection eliminating organisms exceed a limit because deleterious speed-related effects; (3) productive indicates species-wide ‘fitness’, whereas acquisition local ‘adaptiveness’, viewed along body size spectrum within clades related species; (4) covariation across space time many scales; (5) energetic power/efficiency relates rates efficiencies/effectiveness nutrient/water uptake/use, functional performance activities, information acquisition/processing; (6) approach has useful theoretical practical applications deserving more study.

Language: Английский

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Social life results in social stress protection: a novel concept to explain individual life‐history patterns in social insects

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 99(4), P. 1444 - 1457

Published: March 11, 2024

ABSTRACT Resistance to and avoidance of stress slow aging confer increased longevity in numerous organisms. Honey bees other superorganismal social insects have two main advantages over solitary species avoid or resist stress: individuals can directly help each by resource information transfer, they cooperatively control their environment. These benefits been recognised the context pathogen parasite as concept immunity, which has extensively studied. However, we argue that immunity is only a special case general define here protection include group‐level defences against all biotic abiotic stressors. We reason may allowed evolution reduced individual‐level individual life‐history optimization, including exceptional plasticity many insects. describe major categories how colonial lifestyle protect insects, particularly temporary peaks extreme stress. use honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.) illustrate patterns life expectancy be explained modern beekeeping practices disrupt protection. conclude broad requires rigorous empirical testing because it implications for our understanding specifically improving health.

Language: Английский

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Impact of Different Sugar Syrups on the Development of the Fat Body in Worker Bees (Apis mellifera macedonica)

Agriculture, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1), P. 83 - 83

Published: Jan. 2, 2025

Global climate change, intensive agriculture, and anthropogenic pollution adversely affect flowering plants the vitality of bee colonies. In nutritional stress conditions, bees deplete food reserves their fat body to sustain colony life. Beekeepers play a critical role by providing supplemental nutrient solutions. This study examines effects various sugar syrups on development worker (Apis mellifera macedonica). The colonies were divided into one control group five experimental groups: fed with 1:1 sugar/water syrup, 2:1 inverted syrup (Apiinvert), HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) (Isosweet), honey/water syrup. Fat was assessed through meticulous dissection, degrees documented using USB digital microscope (Bresser). results indicate significant seasonal variations in development, winter depletion recovery influenced feeding. Apiinvert promoted higher stages, while Isosweet led elevated fifth but raised concerns about potential toxicity due hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation improperly stored syrups. concludes that adequate feeding easily digestible sugars is for promoting enhancing survival, ensuring overall health. These findings provide practical guidance beekeepers optimize strategies support resilient

Language: Английский

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Divergent evolution of colony‐level metabolic scaling in ants

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 7, 2025

Abstract Metabolic scaling—the relationship between organismal metabolic rate ( R ) and body mass M )—is an important property of life. In general, this has been summarized by the scaling function, = aM b . Both elevation a exponent have shown to diverge among taxa ecological groups. However, it is unclear whether divergence observed in unitary organisms also occurs at higher levels biological organization, such as eusocial colonies. We used published literature assemble estimates active colonies their for 51 species ants, along with three ecologically traits available data: trophic level (herbivorous predaceous), foraging coordination (solitary trunk trail) caste polymorphism (polymorphic vs. monomorphic). Interspecific colony was steeper (higher occupying polymorphic versus monomorphic workers. Species had ). These findings are consistent divergent selection on colony‐level scaling. conclude that dependence evolved across organization should be explicitly considered both social evolution theories.

Language: Английский

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The royal food of termites shows king and queen specificity

PNAS Nexus, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2(7)

Published: July 1, 2023

Abstract Society in eusocial insects is based on the reproductive division of labor, with a small number individuals supported by large nonreproductive individuals. Because inclusive fitness all colony members depends survival and fertility members, sterile provide royals special treatment. Here, we show that termite kings queens each receive food different composition from workers. Sequential analysis feeding processes demonstrated workers exhibit discriminative trophallaxis, indicating their decision-making capacity allocating to queens. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analyses stomodeal midgut contents revealed king- queen-specific compounds, including diacylglycerols short-chain peptides. Desorption electrospray ionization mass imaging 13C-labeled termites identified phosphatidylinositol acetyl-l-carnitine royal food. Comparison digestive tract structure showed remarkable differences volume ratio midgut-to-hindgut among castes, labor underlies labor. Our demonstration foods provides insight into nutritional system underpins extraordinary reproduction longevity insects.

Language: Английский

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Fat body lipogenic capacity in honey bee workers is affected by age, social role, and dietary protein

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 27, 2024

Abstract All organisms need to balance processes that consume energy against those produce energy. With an increase in biological complexity over evolutionary time, regulation of this has become much more complex, resulting specialization metabolic tasks between organelles, cells, organs, and the case eusocial organisms, individuals who comprise ‘superorganism.’ Exemplifying this, nurse honey bees maintain high abdominal lipids, while foragers have very low lipid stores, likely contributing efficient performance their social role, thus colony fitness. The proximate mechanisms responsible for these differences remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated effects age, age class, dietary macronutrients on activity fatty acid synthase (FAS), enzyme de novo synthesis acids. We found FAS declines as past peak nursing age. Feeding both nurses carbohydrates increased compared with starved bee, but, whether fed or starved, had higher than similarly treated foragers, implicating reduced one component foragers’ stores. Finally, used artificial diets different amounts protein fat precociously induce low, forager-like levels nurse-age deprived protein. speculate appetite consumption during nurse-forager transition is suppressed foragers. Summary statement Honey bee workers show capacity they leave nest forage. Young capacity.

Language: Английский

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Social administration of juvenile hormone to larvae increases body size and nutritional needs for pupation

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 10(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2023

Social insects often display extreme variation in body size and morphology within the same colony. In many species, adult is socially regulated by workers during larval development. While nutrition may play a role this regulation, it difficult to identify precisely what larvae receive from rearing workers, especially when are fed through social regurgitation. Across insects, juvenile hormone major regulator of ant

Language: Английский

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Ruling the unruly: larval passiveness enabled size inequality between ant queens and workers

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Dec. 12, 2022

Abstract Building differences between genetically equivalent units is a fundamental challenge for every (super)organism with reproductive division of labor. In ants, or worker fate typically determined during the larval stage. However, methods by which adults feed their larvae, thus controlling development, vary widely across ant species. Similarly, body size gap queen and highly heterogeneous, ranging from species similar-sized individuals to queens over 300 times larger than smallest workers. To investigate role alloparental feeding control in caste dimorphism evolution social complexity, we assembled data queen:worker dimorphism, care, morphology phylogenetically comprehensive sample several hundred species, along ecological life-history traits. Using comparative phylogenetic methods, analyzed macroevolution larvae on large scale. Our findings indicate that both extended care are associated passive morphologies. Furthermore, greater co-evolved traits indicative including colony sizes, distinct subcastes, loss full potential sum, change habits were promoted dietary shifts prey foods necessitating individualized distribution. These innovations granted capacity manipulate nutrition, consequently, inequality, significant implications complexity. Significance statement Ants among rare organisms have labor beyond cells multicellular organism. degree specialization castes varies considerably lineages. this study, demonstrate strong ants complex eusociality traits, was achieved asserting adult larvae’ development. We conclude enhanced critical junction major evolutionary transition toward specialization. Graphical abstract

Language: Английский

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