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Questions and Answers
What characterizes eusociality in social insects?
What characterizes eusociality in social insects?
How do colonies of eusocial insects function as superorganisms?
How do colonies of eusocial insects function as superorganisms?
Which of the following statements is true about the degrees of sociality?
Which of the following statements is true about the degrees of sociality?
Which feature is associated with semisocial insects?
Which feature is associated with semisocial insects?
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What is a common behavior seen in the worker caste of eusocial insects as they age?
What is a common behavior seen in the worker caste of eusocial insects as they age?
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What is the primary function of the waggle dance in bees?
What is the primary function of the waggle dance in bees?
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What does the term 'superorganism' refer to in the context of bees?
What does the term 'superorganism' refer to in the context of bees?
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How does a returning forager assess the number of foragers or processors in the colony?
How does a returning forager assess the number of foragers or processors in the colony?
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What role does the tremble dance play in the communication among bees?
What role does the tremble dance play in the communication among bees?
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In the context of the waggle dance, what is meant by the 'signaling cascade'?
In the context of the waggle dance, what is meant by the 'signaling cascade'?
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What does eusociality primarily involve?
What does eusociality primarily involve?
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Which insect order has evolved eusociality the most times?
Which insect order has evolved eusociality the most times?
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What is a characteristic feature of eusocial species?
What is a characteristic feature of eusocial species?
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Which of the following species is known to display eusocial behavior?
Which of the following species is known to display eusocial behavior?
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Why is the existence of sterile individuals in eusocial species puzzling from a natural selection perspective?
Why is the existence of sterile individuals in eusocial species puzzling from a natural selection perspective?
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Which of the following non-insects is considered eusocial?
Which of the following non-insects is considered eusocial?
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What behavior is commonly exhibited by sterile individuals in eusocial species?
What behavior is commonly exhibited by sterile individuals in eusocial species?
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What determines if a thrip is haploid or diploid?
What determines if a thrip is haploid or diploid?
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Darwin identified a specific challenge to his theory of natural selection with regard to which eusocial behavior?
Darwin identified a specific challenge to his theory of natural selection with regard to which eusocial behavior?
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What is the coefficient of genetic relatedness (r) between a male drone and its mother queen?
What is the coefficient of genetic relatedness (r) between a male drone and its mother queen?
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How does the genetic relatedness between female workers compare to their mother queen?
How does the genetic relatedness between female workers compare to their mother queen?
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If a queen and a male drone each have two sets of chromosomes, what is the maximum possible genetic similarity between their offspring?
If a queen and a male drone each have two sets of chromosomes, what is the maximum possible genetic similarity between their offspring?
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What can be said about the genetic relatedness of sisters in a haplodiploidy system?
What can be said about the genetic relatedness of sisters in a haplodiploidy system?
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What is the genetic relationship between a worker and her father in the thrip reproductive system?
What is the genetic relationship between a worker and her father in the thrip reproductive system?
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In haplodiploidy, which statement about males is true?
In haplodiploidy, which statement about males is true?
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What is the average genetic relatedness coefficient between siblings in diploid organisms?
What is the average genetic relatedness coefficient between siblings in diploid organisms?
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What is the primary benefit of Hamilton's rule in understanding altruism in eusocial species?
What is the primary benefit of Hamilton's rule in understanding altruism in eusocial species?
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Which of the following accurately describes haplodiploidy?
Which of the following accurately describes haplodiploidy?
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Why is eusociality considered rare among species?
Why is eusociality considered rare among species?
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What role does relatedness (R) play in Hamilton's rule?
What role does relatedness (R) play in Hamilton's rule?
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Which scenario showcases the benefit of nest guarding in an eusocial colony?
Which scenario showcases the benefit of nest guarding in an eusocial colony?
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What can lead to the evolution of altruistic behaviors in sterile individuals?
What can lead to the evolution of altruistic behaviors in sterile individuals?
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How do young females typically react in a eusocial colony, according to cooperative breeding strategies?
How do young females typically react in a eusocial colony, according to cooperative breeding strategies?
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What does the term 'mutualism' imply in the context of evolving eusocial behavior?
What does the term 'mutualism' imply in the context of evolving eusocial behavior?
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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.
