Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is Hamilton's rule regarding altruistic behavior in eusocial species?
What is Hamilton's rule regarding altruistic behavior in eusocial species?
- C - Br < R
- R + Ca < B
- B + C > R
- Br - Ca > 0 (correct)
What is the genetic relation between a haploid male and his diploid mother?
What is the genetic relation between a haploid male and his diploid mother?
- 0.25
- 1.0
- 0.5 (correct)
- 0.75
Why are worker bees considered sterile yet they contribute to the colony?
Why are worker bees considered sterile yet they contribute to the colony?
- They are forced to work for the colony's survival.
- They help ensure the survival of their close relatives. (correct)
- They gain personal reproductive success.
- They inherit the queen's genes.
How is gender determined in thrips?
How is gender determined in thrips?
What does the haplodiploid hypothesis propose?
What does the haplodiploid hypothesis propose?
What is the probability that two worker sisters in haplodiploidy share the same gene from their mother?
What is the probability that two worker sisters in haplodiploidy share the same gene from their mother?
Which factor is NOT part of Hamilton's rule?
Which factor is NOT part of Hamilton's rule?
What is the primary function of the waggle dance in bees?
What is the primary function of the waggle dance in bees?
What is the genetic relatedness coefficient (r) between a drone and a queen in haplodiploidy?
What is the genetic relatedness coefficient (r) between a drone and a queen in haplodiploidy?
What is one of the proposed routes to the evolution of eusociality?
What is one of the proposed routes to the evolution of eusociality?
How does the superorganismal view of a colony of bees influence their work?
How does the superorganismal view of a colony of bees influence their work?
How does relatedness (R) influence altruistic behavior according to Hamilton's rule?
How does relatedness (R) influence altruistic behavior according to Hamilton's rule?
What does the tremble dance in bees primarily signal?
What does the tremble dance in bees primarily signal?
What is the chromosome count for male drones in haplodiploidy?
What is the chromosome count for male drones in haplodiploidy?
What does a returning forager rely on to understand the number of foragers or processors?
What does a returning forager rely on to understand the number of foragers or processors?
How many chromosomes do diploid females possess in haplodiploidy?
How many chromosomes do diploid females possess in haplodiploidy?
In eusocial colonies, such as honeybees, who typically reproduces?
In eusocial colonies, such as honeybees, who typically reproduces?
What is a common outcome of mutualism in the context of eusociality?
What is a common outcome of mutualism in the context of eusociality?
What is the genetic relatedness between two worker sisters in haplodiploidy?
What is the genetic relatedness between two worker sisters in haplodiploidy?
Which dance is more focused on recruiting processors back to the hive?
Which dance is more focused on recruiting processors back to the hive?
What happens to an unfertilized egg in haplodiploidy?
What happens to an unfertilized egg in haplodiploidy?
Which of the following characteristics are essential for a species to be classified as eusocial?
Which of the following characteristics are essential for a species to be classified as eusocial?
In which insect order has eusociality evolved the most times?
In which insect order has eusociality evolved the most times?
What is a notable behavioral trait exhibited by sterile individuals in eusocial species?
What is a notable behavioral trait exhibited by sterile individuals in eusocial species?
Which of the following is NOT a eusocial species?
Which of the following is NOT a eusocial species?
Why does the existence of eusocial species pose challenges to the theory of natural selection?
Why does the existence of eusocial species pose challenges to the theory of natural selection?
Which of the following taxa includes more than one species that exhibits eusocial behavior?
Which of the following taxa includes more than one species that exhibits eusocial behavior?
What evolutionary factor does eusociality challenge in Darwin's theory?
What evolutionary factor does eusociality challenge in Darwin's theory?
Which of these behaviors is considered altruistic in eusocial species?
Which of these behaviors is considered altruistic in eusocial species?
What is the coefficient of relatedness between sisters in honeybees?
What is the coefficient of relatedness between sisters in honeybees?
In terms of inclusive fitness, why is raising a sister more beneficial for a worker than raising her own offspring?
In terms of inclusive fitness, why is raising a sister more beneficial for a worker than raising her own offspring?
What evolutionary benefit does the stinging behavior of honeybee workers provide?
What evolutionary benefit does the stinging behavior of honeybee workers provide?
How does haplodiploidy affect the relatedness of males to females in honeybee colonies?
How does haplodiploidy affect the relatedness of males to females in honeybee colonies?
What factor counteracts the high relatedness to sisters in honeybee colonies?
What factor counteracts the high relatedness to sisters in honeybee colonies?
What promotes the evolution of a worker caste in haplodiploid species?
What promotes the evolution of a worker caste in haplodiploid species?
How do honeybee workers gain inclusive fitness?
How do honeybee workers gain inclusive fitness?
What must honeybee workers sacrifice for their stinging behavior to be evolutionarily advantageous?
What must honeybee workers sacrifice for their stinging behavior to be evolutionarily advantageous?
Study Notes
Mechanics of the Waggle Dance
- Waggle dance allows foragers to symbolically communicate food supply information to others.
- Successful foragers regulate work within a colony based on supply and demand.
- Tremble dance inhibits other foragers from waggling and recruits processors for nectar storage and ripening.
Eusociality in Insects
- Eusociality characterized by:
- Overlapping generations
- Cooperative brood care
- Specialized castes of non-reproductive individuals
- Different insect orders exhibit varying frequencies of eusociality, with Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) showing the highest at 11 incidents.
Altruism and Sterile Individuals
- Sterile individuals exhibit extreme altruistic behavior, aiding the colony's survival without direct genetic benefit.
- Altruism raises questions for natural selection by challenging how traits can persist if individuals forgo breeding for the benefit of others.
Evolution of Eusociality
- The haplodiploid hypothesis explains the prevalence of altruism in eusocial species like honeybees, enabling workers to raise more sisters, thus increasing their inclusive fitness.
- Genetic relatedness is higher between sisters than between parents and offspring, allowing for cooperative breeding.
Hamilton’s Rule
- Altruistic behavior can spread in populations if the benefits to the recipient times their relatedness exceed the cost to the altruist (R x B > C).
- Cost (C) and benefit (B) measured in terms of surviving offspring numbers.
Haplodiploidy
- In haplodiploid species:
- Males (drones) are haploid, having one set of chromosomes.
- Females (workers and queens) are diploid, having two sets.
- Drones share 100% of their genes with their mother (queen), while sisters share about 75% due to a mix of maternal and paternal genes.
Inclusive Fitness
- Workers can enhance their inclusive fitness by aiding in the production of more sisters, as it offers a higher genetic payoff compared to raising their own offspring.
- The concept of "inclusive fitness" highlights the evolutionary advantages of helping relatives reproduce.
Kin Selection and Stinging Behavior
- Honey bee workers' self-sacrificing stinging behavior can be favored by natural selection if it aids the survival of relatives that share their genes.
- Worker policing mechanisms ensure genetic relatedness and altruism are maintained in the colony.
Reevaluation of Eusociality Models
- Later models considered reproductive value and sex ratios, revealing that high relatedness to sisters can be offset by lower relatedness to brothers.
- Worker policing and selective breeding within the colony support the continued relevance of the haplodiploid hypothesis.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the mechanics of the waggle dance, a critical communication method used by foraging bees. This quiz will explore how bees convey information about food sources through symbolic dance movements. Videos are available for reference to enhance understanding.
