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Evolution of Eusociality in Insects
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Evolution of Eusociality in Insects

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@FamedEuphonium

Questions and Answers

What characterizes eusociality in social insects?

  • All individuals have equal reproductive capability.
  • Each individual operates independently without any cooperation.
  • Offspring assist their parents during their lifetime. (correct)
  • There is no division of labor among the castes.

    • How do colonies of eusocial insects function as superorganisms?

  • They have a centralized control center run by the queen.
  • Members are physically connected and share nutrients.
  • They utilize self-organization based on simple rules. (correct)
  • Every individual communicates the colony's needs directly.

    • Which of the following statements is true about the degrees of sociality?

  • Solitary insects often exhibit high levels of parental care.
  • Subsocial insects care for their offspring for a period of time. (correct)
  • Communal living always involves cooperative brood care.
  • Semisocial insects have no worker caste.

    • Which feature is associated with semisocial insects?

    <p>They have a worker caste that supports the reproductive individuals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common behavior seen in the worker caste of eusocial insects as they age?

    <p>They transition from brood care to nest maintenance and foraging.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the waggle dance in bees?

    <p>To communicate the location of food sources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'superorganism' refer to in the context of bees?

    <p>The interconnected functioning of the entire colony of bees</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does a returning forager assess the number of foragers or processors in the colony?

    <p>By observing the time it takes to offload her nectar or pollen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the tremble dance play in the communication among bees?

    <p>It recruits additional nectar processors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of the waggle dance, what is meant by the 'signaling cascade'?

    <p>A series of behavioral responses triggered by the waggle dance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does eusociality primarily involve?

    <p>Overlap in generations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which insect order has evolved eusociality the most times?

    <p>Hymenoptera</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic feature of eusocial species?

    <p>Co-operative brood care</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following species is known to display eusocial behavior?

    <p>Ants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the existence of sterile individuals in eusocial species puzzling from a natural selection perspective?

    <p>They cannot transmit their genes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following non-insects is considered eusocial?

    <p>Naked mole rats</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What behavior is commonly exhibited by sterile individuals in eusocial species?

    <p>Extreme altruism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What determines if a thrip is haploid or diploid?

    <p>The presence of two differing copies of a gene</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Darwin identified a specific challenge to his theory of natural selection with regard to which eusocial behavior?

    <p>Sterile worker behaviors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the coefficient of genetic relatedness (r) between a male drone and its mother queen?

    <p>0.5</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the genetic relatedness between female workers compare to their mother queen?

    <p>They are 50% related</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If a queen and a male drone each have two sets of chromosomes, what is the maximum possible genetic similarity between their offspring?

    <p>50%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be said about the genetic relatedness of sisters in a haplodiploidy system?

    <p>They share on average 25% of their genes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the genetic relationship between a worker and her father in the thrip reproductive system?

    <p>50% related</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In haplodiploidy, which statement about males is true?

    <p>They are haploid and formed from unfertilized eggs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average genetic relatedness coefficient between siblings in diploid organisms?

    <p>0.5</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of Hamilton's rule in understanding altruism in eusocial species?

    <p>It describes how altruism can spread through populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following accurately describes haplodiploidy?

    <p>Males arise from unfertilized eggs, while females arise from fertilized ones.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is eusociality considered rare among species?

    <p>It can result from specific evolutionary events.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does relatedness (R) play in Hamilton's rule?

    <p>It determines the benefits bestowed on the recipient.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scenario showcases the benefit of nest guarding in an eusocial colony?

    <p>Individuals cooperate to defend the nest while reproducing independently.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can lead to the evolution of altruistic behaviors in sterile individuals?

    <p>High relatedness to the offspring that benefit from the actions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do young females typically react in a eusocial colony, according to cooperative breeding strategies?

    <p>They remain at home to assist with defense and tasks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'mutualism' imply in the context of evolving eusocial behavior?

    <p>A relationship where both parties benefit from cooperation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Evolution of Eusociality

    • Eusociality epitomizes altruism in social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps.
    • Group living does not equate to social behavior; some animals, like fish, can live in groups but are not social.
    • Degrees of sociality range from solitary living to complex eusocial systems with multiple castes.

    Degrees of Sociality

    • Solitary: Minimal parental care and independent living (many insects).
    • Subsocial: Adults provide some care for their offspring (e.g., cockroaches).
    • Communal: Shared nesting without cooperative care (e.g., digger bees).
    • Quasisocial: Shared nesting with cooperative brood care (e.g., Euglossine bees).
    • Semisocial: Features of quasisocial with a worker caste (e.g., Halictid bees).
    • Eusocial: Presence of cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, and reproductive division of labor (e.g., honey bees).

    Characteristics of Eusociality

    • Colonies function as superorganisms, exhibiting behaviors akin to a single entity.
    • Lack of centralized control; decisions are made through self-organization and simple rules.
    • Waggle dance enables foragers to communicate food locations through symbolic movements.

    Mechanisms of Eusociality

    • The waggle dance informs other bees about food supply, influencing foraging efforts.
    • Colony activities adjust based on the supply-demand equation communicated through dances.
    • Altruistic behavior arises despite natural selection favoring individual reproductive success.

    Evolutionary Pathways to Eusociality

    • Sterile individuals display altruism underpinned by Hamilton’s Rule: altruism benefits when relatedness (R) multiplied by recipient's benefit (B) surpasses donor's cost (C).
    • Suggested pathways to eusociality include mutualism and extended family systems.

    Coefficients of Relatedness

    • In haplodiploid species, such as honey bees, genetic relationships vary due to unique reproductive patterns.
    • Workers are 50% related to both their mother (queen) and father (haploid), leading to high relatedness among sisters.
    • Females inherit varied chromosomes from their diploid mother, while males inherit a single set from their mother, facilitating genetic similarity among sisters.

    Eusocial Taxa Overview

    • Eusociality is found in several insect orders, with Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) showing the highest evolutionary instances.
    • Other examples include termites, gall-forming aphids, and snapping shrimps.

    Significance of Eusociality

    • Understanding eusociality challenges conventional views on natural selection, as individuals in such systems often sacrifice personal reproductive success for colony benefit.
    • The evolutionary origins of eusocial behavior remain an intriguing area of biological study, with implications for understanding cooperation and social structures in other organisms.

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    Description

    Explore the fascinating world of eusocial insects, including ants, bees, and wasps, examining their complex social structures and extreme forms of altruism. This quiz discusses the differences between group living and true sociality, as well as the various degrees of sociality found in the animal kingdom. Test your knowledge of these remarkable organisms and their behaviors.

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