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Intra-colony venom diversity contributes to maintaining eusociality in a cooperatively breeding ant.

Samuel D RobinsonVanessa SchendelChristina I SchroederSarah MoenAlexander MuellerAndrew A WalkerNaomi McKinnonG Gregory NeelyIrina VetterGlenn F KingEivind A B Undheim
Published in: BMC biology (2023)
Taken together, our results suggest that the toxin diversity contained in R. metallica colonies may be maintained by a form of group selection that selects for colonies that can exploit more resources and defend against a wider range of predators. We propose that increased intra-colony genetic variance resulting from low kinship may itself provide a selective advantage in the form of an expanded pharmacological venom repertoire. These findings provide an example of how group selection on adaptive phenotypes may contribute to maintaining eusociality where a prerequisite for kin selection is diminished.
Keyphrases
  • escherichia coli
  • copy number
  • high throughput sequencing