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Dixit NM, Guicking D. Exploring the evolutionary dynamics of myrmecophytism: Perspectives from the Southeast Asian Macaranga ant-plant symbiosis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108028. [PMID: 38342161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Myrmecophytic plants utilise defensive services offered by obligate ant partners nesting in their domatia in a novel means of survival in tropical habitats. Although much is known about the ecology of myrmecophytism, there aren't enough empirical examples to demonstrate whether it substantially influences evolutionary patterns in host plant lineages. In this study, we make use of the species-rich Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) ant-plant symbiosis distributed in the Southeast Asian Sundaland to delve into the evolutionary dynamics of myrmecophytism in host plants. We generated the most comprehensive dated phylogeny of myrmecophytic Macaranga till date using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). With this in hand, we traced the evolutionary history of myrmecophytism in Macaranga using parametric biogeography and ancestral state reconstruction. Diversification rate analysis methods were employed to determine if myrmecophytism enhanced diversification rates in the genus. Our results demonstrate that myrmecophytism is labile and easily lost. Ancestral state reconstruction supported a single origin of myrmecophytism in Macaranga ∼18 mya on Borneo followed by multiple losses. Diversification rate analysis methods did not yield sufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that myrmecophytism enhanced diversification rates in Macaranga; we found that topographical features on Borneo may have played a more direct role in the divergence of clades instead. Our study provides evidence that while the acquisition of domatia clearly functions as a key innovation that has enabled host plants to exploit the environment in novel ways, it may not necessarily enhance diversification rates. In fact, we hypothesise that overly specialised cases of myrmecophytism may even be an evolutionary dead end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadi M Dixit
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Strasse 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany.
| | - Daniela Guicking
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Strasse 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany.
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2
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Cai C. Ant backbone phylogeny resolved by modelling compositional heterogeneity among sites in genomic data. Commun Biol 2024; 7:106. [PMID: 38233456 PMCID: PMC10794244 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05793-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Ants are the most ubiquitous and ecologically dominant arthropods on Earth, and understanding their phylogeny is crucial for deciphering their character evolution, species diversification, and biogeography. Although recent genomic data have shown promise in clarifying intrafamilial relationships across the tree of ants, inconsistencies between molecular datasets have also emerged. Here I re-examine the most comprehensive published Sanger-sequencing and genome-scale datasets of ants using model comparison methods that model among-site compositional heterogeneity to understand the sources of conflict in phylogenetic studies. My results under the best-fitting model, selected on the basis of Bayesian cross-validation and posterior predictive model checking, identify contentious nodes in ant phylogeny whose resolution is modelling-dependent. I show that the Bayesian infinite mixture CAT model outperforms empirical finite mixture models (C20, C40 and C60) and that, under the best-fitting CAT-GTR + G4 model, the enigmatic Martialis heureka is sister to all ants except Leptanillinae, rejecting the more popular hypothesis supported under worse-fitting models, that place it as sister to Leptanillinae. These analyses resolve a lasting controversy in ant phylogeny and highlight the significance of model comparison and adequate modelling of among-site compositional heterogeneity in reconstructing the deep phylogeny of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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3
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Sosiak C, Janovitz T, Perrichot V, Timonera JP, Barden P. Trait-Based Paleontological Niche Prediction Recovers Extinct Ecological Breadth of the Earliest Specialized Ant Predators. Am Nat 2023; 202:E147-E162. [PMID: 38033183 DOI: 10.1086/726739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractPaleoecological estimation is fundamental to the reconstruction of evolutionary and environmental histories. The ant fossil record preserves a range of species in three-dimensional fidelity and chronicles faunal turnover across the Cretaceous and Cenozoic; taxonomically rich and ecologically diverse, ants are an exemplar system to test new methods of paleoecological estimation in evaluating hypotheses. We apply a broad extant ecomorphological dataset to evaluate random forest machine learning classification in predicting the total ecological breadth of extinct and enigmatic hell ants. In contrast to previous hypotheses of extinction-prone arboreality, we find that hell ants were primarily leaf litter or ground-nesting and foraging predators, and by comparing ecospace occupations of hell ants and their extant analogs, we recover a signature of ecomorphological turnover across temporally and phylogenetically distinct lineages on opposing sides of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. This paleoecological predictive framework is applicable across lineages and may provide new avenues for testing hypotheses over deep time.
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Xiong Z, He D, Guang X, Li Q. Novel tRNA Gene Rearrangements in the Mitochondrial Genomes of Poneroid Ants and Phylogenetic Implication of Paraponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2068. [PMID: 37895449 PMCID: PMC10608118 DOI: 10.3390/life13102068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants (Formicidae) are the most diverse eusocial insects in Hymenoptera, distributed across 17 extant subfamilies grouped into 3 major clades, the Formicoid, Leptanilloid, and Poneroid. While the mitogenomes of Formicoid ants have been well studied, there is a lack of published data on the mitogenomes of Poneroid ants, which requires further characterization. In this study, we first present three complete mitogenomes of Poneroid ants: Paraponera clavata, the only extant species from the subfamily Paraponerinae, and two species (Harpegnathos venator and Buniapone amblyops) from the Ponerinae subfamily. Notable novel gene rearrangements were observed in the new mitogenomes, located in the gene blocks CR-trnM-trnI-trnQ-ND2, COX1-trnK-trnD-ATP8, and ND3-trnA-trnR-trnN-trnS1-trnE-trnF-ND5. We reported the duplication of tRNA genes for the first time in Formicidae. An extra trnQ gene was identified in H. venator. These gene rearrangements could be explained by the tandem duplication/random loss (TDRL) model and the slipped-strand mispairing model. Additionally, one large duplicated region containing tandem repeats was identified in the control region of P. clavata. Phylogenetic analyses based on protein-coding genes and rRNA genes via maximum likelihood and Bayes methods supported the monophyly of the Poneroid clade and the sister group relationship between the subfamilies Paraponerinae and Amblyoponinae. However, caution is advised in interpreting the positions of Paraponerinae due to the potential artifact of long-branch attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Xiong
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
- BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Ding He
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | | | - Qiye Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
- BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China;
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5
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Lin X, Song N. The First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Genus Pachycondyla (Formicidae, Ponerinae) and Insights into the Phylogeny of Ants. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1528. [PMID: 37628580 PMCID: PMC10454067 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are the standout group among eusocial insects in terms of their exceptional species richness and ecological dominance. The phylogenetic relationships among the group remain elusive. Mitochondrial genome sequences, as a kind of molecular marker, have been widely utilized in the phylogenetic analysis of insects. However, the number of ant mitogenomes published is still very limited. In this study, we utilized next-generation sequencing to determine the complete mitogenome of Pachycondyla annamita (Formicidae, Ponerinae). This is the first mitogenome from the genus Pachycondyla. Two gene rearrangements were identified in the mitogenome, the transposition of trnQ and trnM and the transposition of trnV and rrnS. The secondary structures of tRNAs were predicted. The tRNA genes trnR and trnS1 lacked the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm, and the trnE lacked the TΨC (T) arm. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes under maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) criteria resulted in conflicting hypotheses. BI analysis using amino acid data with the site-heterogeneous mixture model produced a tree topology congruent with previous studies. The Formicidae was subdivided into two main clades, namely the "poneroid" clade and the "formicoid" clade. A sister group relationship between Myrmicinae and Formicinae was recovered within the "formicoid" clade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nan Song
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China;
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Mera-Rodríguez D, Jourdan H, Ward PS, Shattuck S, Cover SP, Wilson EO, Rabeling C. Biogeography and evolution of social parasitism in Australian Myrmecia bulldog ants revealed by phylogenomics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023:107825. [PMID: 37244505 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ants in the genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing evolutionary hypotheses about how their species diversity was assembled through time because the genus is endemic to Australia with the single exception of the species M. apicalis inhabiting the Pacific Island of New Caledonia, and because at least one social parasite species exists in the genus. However, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis and the life history transition(s) to social parasitism remain unexplored. To study the biogeographic origin of the isolated, oceanic species M. apicalis and to reveal the origin and evolution of social parasitism in the genus, we reconstructed a comprehensive phylogeny of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae. We utilized Ultra Conserved Elements (UCEs) as molecular markers to generate a comprehensive molecular genetic dataset consisting of 2,287 loci per taxon on average for 66 out of the 93 known Myrmecia species as well as for the sister lineage Nothomyrmecia macrops and selected outgroups. Our time-calibrated phylogeny inferred that: (i) stem Myrmeciinae originated during the Paleocene ∼58 Ma ago; (ii) the current disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis was driven by long-distance dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia during the Miocene ∼14 Ma ago; (iii) the single social parasite species, M. inquilina, evolved directly from one of the two known host species, M. nigriceps, in sympatry via the intraspecific route of social parasite evolution; and (iv) 5 of the 9 previously established taxonomic species groups are non-monophyletic. We suggest minor changes to reconcile the molecular phylogenetic results with the taxonomic classification. Our study enhances our understanding of the evolution and biogeography of Australian bulldog ants, contributes to our knowledge about the evolution of social parasitism in ants, and provides a solid phylogenetic foundation for future inquiries into the biology, taxonomy, and classification of Myrmeciinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mera-Rodríguez
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institute of Research for Development. Promenade Roger Laroque, Nouméa 98848, New Caledonia
| | - Philip S Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Steven Shattuck
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Stefan P Cover
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Edward O Wilson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Christian Rabeling
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America.
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7
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Lago DC, Nora LC, Hasselmann M, Hartfelder K. Positive selection in cytochrome P450 genes is associated with gonad phenotype and mating strategy in social bees. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5921. [PMID: 37041178 PMCID: PMC10090045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32898-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The honey bee, Apis mellifera differs from all other social bees in its gonad phenotype and mating strategy. Honey bee queens and drones have tremendously enlarged gonads, and virgin queens mate with several males. In contrast, in all the other bees, the male and female gonads are small, and the females mate with only one or very few males, thus, suggesting an evolutionary and developmental link between gonad phenotype and mating strategy. RNA-seq comparisons of A. mellifera larval gonads revealed 870 genes as differentially expressed in queens versus workers and drones. Based on Gene Ontology enrichment we selected 45 genes for comparing the expression levels of their orthologs in the larval gonads of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris and the stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata, which revealed 24 genes as differentially represented. An evolutionary analysis of their orthologs in 13 solitary and social bee genomes revealed four genes with evidence of positive selection. Two of these encode cytochrome P450 proteins, and their gene trees indicated a lineage-specific evolution in the genus Apis, indicating that cytochrome P450 genes may be involved in the evolutionary association of polyandry and the exaggerated gonad phenotype in social bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denyse Cavalcante Lago
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Luísa Czamanski Nora
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Martin Hasselmann
- Department of Livestock Population Genomics, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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8
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Dejean A, Rossi V, Azémar F, Compin A, Petitclerc F, Talaga S, Corbara B. Host-tree selection by the ant garden-initiating arboreal ponerine Neoponera goeldii. Ecology 2023; 104:e3843. [PMID: 36156795 PMCID: PMC10078305 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alain Dejean
- Laboratoire écologie fonctionnelle et environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France.,UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Vivien Rossi
- Plant Systematic and Ecology Laboratory (LaBosystE), Department of Biology, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.,RU Forests and Societies, CIRAD Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Frédéric Azémar
- Laboratoire écologie fonctionnelle et environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Arthur Compin
- Laboratoire écologie fonctionnelle et environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Petitclerc
- UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | | | - Bruno Corbara
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, LMGE, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Zhuang Y, Xu W, Zhang G, Mai H, Li X, He H, Ran H, Liu Y. Unparalleled details of soft tissues in a Cretaceous ant. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:146. [PMID: 36526958 PMCID: PMC9756460 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For social insects such as ants, the internal organs are likely important in understanding their eusocial behavior and evolution. Such organs, however, are rarely preserved on fossils. In each of the few cases reporting exceptionally fossilized soft tissues in arthropods, the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems have been described individually, but never in combination. Here, we report a female specimen (gyne) of the extinct ant group-†Zigrasimecia-included in a Cretaceous amber piece from Kachin, Myanmar, with an almost complete system formed by various internal organs. These include the brain, the main exocrine system, part of the digestive tract, and several muscle clusters. This research expands our knowledge of internal anatomy in stem group ants. As the gyne bears a morphologically unique labrum, our specimen's internal and external features support the notion that the early ant may have special ecological habits during the Cretaceous period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhuang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEvolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XVillum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Huijuan Mai
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Hong He
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Hao Ran
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004 China ,Biological Education and Research Laboratory, Mancheng High School of Hebei Province, Baoding, 072150 China
| | - Yu Liu
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
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10
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Zhang XM, Li T, Liu X, Xu ZH. Characterization and Phylogenetic Implication of Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Medicinal Ant Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Genomic Comparisons in Formicidae. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1971-1979. [PMID: 36209399 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are among the largest and most widespread families of terrestrial insects and are valuable to medical and ecological investigations. The mitochondrial genome has been widely used as a reliable genetic marker for species identification and phylogenetic analyses. To further understand the mitogenome-level characteristics of the congeneric Formicidae species, the complete mitogenome of Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was sequenced, annotated, and compared with other 48 Formicidae species. The results showed that gene composition, content, and codon usage were conserved. The complete mitochondrial genome of F. sinae was 17,432 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and one control region located between rrnS and trnM, which was 1,256 bp long, the longest of all sequenced species. Gene rearrangement was not detected in Formica species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). All PCGs of F. sinae were initiated with ATN codons and terminated with the TAA codon. The overall nucleotide composition of F. sinae was AT-biased (83.51%), being 80.58% in PCGs, 86.68% in tRNAs, 87.10% in rRNAs, and 88.70% in the control region. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that each subfamily formed a strongly monophyletic group. Furthermore, F. sinae clustered with Formica fusca (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Formica selysi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This work enhances the genetic data of Formicidae and contributes to our understanding of their phylogenic relationship, evolution, and utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Zheng-Hui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
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Boudinot BE, Richter AK, Hammel JU, Szwedo J, Bojarski B, Perrichot V. Genomic-Phenomic Reciprocal Illumination: Desyopone hereon gen. et sp. nov., an Exceptional Aneuretine-like Fossil Ant from Ethiopian Amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). INSECTS 2022; 13:796. [PMID: 36135497 PMCID: PMC9502205 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fossils are critical for understanding the evolutionary diversification, turnover, and morphological disparification of extant lineages. While fossils cannot be sequenced, phenome-scale data may be generated using micro-computed tomography (µ-CT), thus revealing hidden structures and internal anatomy, when preserved. Here, we adduce the male caste of a new fossil ant species from Miocene Ethiopian amber that resembles members of the Aneuretinae, matching the operational definition of the subfamily. Through the use of synchrotron radiation for µ-CT, we critically test the aneuretine-identity hypothesis. Our results indicate that the new fossils do not belong to the Aneuretinae, but rather the Ponerini (Ponerinae). Informed by recent phylogenomic studies, we were able to place the fossils close to the extant genus Cryptopone based on logical character analysis, with the two uniquely sharing absence of the subpetiolar process among all ponerine genera. Consequently, we: (1) revise the male-based key to the global ant subfamilies; (2) revise the definitions of Aneuretinae, Ponerinae, Platythyreini, and Ponerini; (3) discuss the evolution of ant mandibles; and (4) describe the fossils as †Desyopone hereon gen. et sp. nov. Our study highlights the value of males for ant systematics and the tremendous potential of phenomic imaging technologies for the study of ant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon E. Boudinot
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Vor dem Neutor 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian K. Richter
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Vor dem Neutor 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jörg U. Hammel
- Institute of Materials Physics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Jacek Szwedo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Błażej Bojarski
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, University Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France
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12
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Grimaldi DA. Evolutionary history of interactions among terrestrial arthropods. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 51:100915. [PMID: 35364331 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The study of terrestrial arthopod fossils preserved with microscopic fidelity in amber and as permineralized replicas has been revolutionized by CT scanning. Fine preservation facilitates phylogenetic interpretation of fossils, but molecular divergence-time models still commonly use insufficient fossil calibrations, skewing estimates away from the direct (i.e. fossil, morphological) evidence. Interactions among terrestrial arthropods (predation, parasitoidism; phoresy, social symbionts) are briefly reviewed from the fossil record. Predation is the oldest and most widespread, originating with arachnids since probably the Silurian. The first phoretic arthropods were probably mites (Acari). Parasitoidism extends to the early Jurassic ~200 mya, with four main episodes proposed by [1•]. 100-myo Burmese amber, the most diverse Cretaceous paleobiota, is unique for our understanding of insect eusociality and interrelationships among terrestrial arthropods. Eusocial insect colonies are ecological sinks for thousands of symbiont species; ages of the major eusocial groups and some of their nest symbionts are discussed. Fossilized arthropod interrelationships in Miocene Dominican amber are presented as visual exemplars.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Grimaldi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA.
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13
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Ant phylogenomics reveals a natural selection hotspot preceding the origin of complex eusociality. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2942-2947.e4. [PMID: 35623348 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eusociality has allowed ants to become one of the most conspicuous and ecologically dominant groups of organisms in the world. A large majority of the current ∼14,000 ant species belong to the formicoids,1 a clade of nine subfamilies that exhibit the most extreme forms of reproductive division of labor, large colony size,2 worker polymorphism,3 and extended queen longevity.4 The eight remaining non-formicoid subfamilies are less well studied, with few genomes having been sequenced so far and unclear phylogenetic relationships.5 By sequencing 65 genomes, we provide a robust phylogeny of the 17 ant subfamilies, retrieving high support to the controversial leptanillomorph clade (Leptanillinae and Martialinae) as the sister group to all other extant ants. Moreover, our genomic analyses revealed that the emergence of the formicoids was accompanied by an elevated number of positive selection events. Importantly, the top three gene functions under selection are linked to key features of complex eusociality, with histone acetylation being implicated in caste differentiation, gene silencing by RNA in worker sterility, and autophagy in longevity. These results show that the key pathways associated with eusociality have been under strong selection during the Cretaceous, suggesting that the molecular foundations of complex eusociality may have evolved rapidly in less than 20 Ma.
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14
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Afonso Neto PC, Micolino R, Cardoso DC, Cristiano MP. Phylogenetic Reconstruction of the Ancestral Chromosome Number of the Genera Anochetus Mayr, 1861 and Odontomachus Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.829989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent phylogenetic and molecular data are changing our knowledge about the relations between species and evolutionary processes resulting in the chromosome variation observed in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ants exhibit remarkable variations in morphology, behavior, karyotypes, and chromosome structure. By assembling genetic and chromosome information about the trap-jaw ants from the subfamily Ponerinae, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships that inferred the monophyletic condition between the Anochetus and Odontomachus genera and estimated their ancestral haploid chromosome number. According to our inferences, these clades have an ancestral haploid chromosome number n = 15. The most recent common ancestor of Anochetus and Odontomachus has arisen between the Early Paleocene and the Early Eocene periods (time of the most recent common ancestor). In the Anochetus genus, we observed maintenance of the ancestral chromosome number estimated here in most species. This also suggests that pericentric inversions were the primary chromosomal rearrangement modulating the karyotype evolution of this genus. However, a reduction from n = 15–14 is observed in Anochetus emarginatus and Anochetus cf. madaraszi, which likely occurred by centromeric fusion. In contrast, the increase from the ancestral karyotype number in Anochetus horridus suggested centromeric fissions. Odontomachus showed maintenance of the ancestral chromosome number in the “rixosus group” and several gains in all species from the “haematodus group.” Our findings suggest that centromeric fissions and pericentric rearrangements lead to chromosomal changes in trap-jaw ants. Considering the ancestral state estimated here, changes in chromosome morphology are likely due to pericentric inversions, and chromosome number increases are likely due to centric fissions. The higher number of acrocentric or telocentric chromosomes in the karyotypes with n < 15 haploid chromosomes supports such an idea.
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15
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Zheng Z, Zhao M, Zhang Z, Hu X, Xu Y, Wei C, He H. Lactic Acid Bacteria Are Prevalent in the Infrabuccal Pockets and Crops of Ants That Prefer Aphid Honeydew. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:785016. [PMID: 35126329 PMCID: PMC8814368 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.785016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are evolutionarily successful species and occupy diverse trophic and habitat niches on the earth. To fulfill dietary requirements, ants have established commensalism with both sap-feeding insects and bacteria. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to characterize the bacterial composition and structure of the digestive tracts in three species of Formica ants and Lasius niger (Linnaeus)—species that predominantly feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. We found that bacterial communities displayed species- and colony-level signatures, and that bacterial communities in the infrabuccal pockets and crops were different from those in the midguts and hindguts. Lactobacillus and Wolbachia were dominant in the infrabuccal pockets and crops of workers, whereas Wolbachia was dominant in the midguts, hindguts and brood (larvae, pupae and cocoons). To learn more about the dominant Lactobacillus in ants, we assessed its prevalence in a wide range of aphid-tending ants using diagnostic PCR. We found that Lactobacillus was more prevalent in Formicinae than in Myrmicinae species. We also isolated four strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus lindneri, Weissella cibaria and Fructobacillus sp.) from the infrabuccal pockets and crops of aphid-tending ants using a culture-dependent method. Two predominant lactic acid bacterial isolates, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (La2) and Weissella cibaria (La3), exhibited abilities in catabolizing sugars (sucrose, trehalose, melezitose and raffinose) known to be constituents of hemipteran honeydew. These findings contribute to further understanding the association between ants, aphids and bacteria, and provide additional information on the function of lactic acid bacteria in ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Zheng
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Mengqin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Cong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- *Correspondence: Cong Wei,
| | - Hong He
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Hong He,
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16
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Shedding Lights on Crude Venom from Solitary Foraging Predatory Ant Ectatomma opaciventre: Initial Toxinological Investigation. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14010037. [PMID: 35051015 PMCID: PMC8781531 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Some species of primitive predatory ants, despite living in a colony, exercise their hunting collection strategy individually; their venom is painful, paralyzing, digestive, and lethal for their prey, yet the toxins responsible for these effects are poorly known. Ectatomma opaciventre is a previously unrecorded solitary hunting ant from the Brazilian Cerrado. To overcome this hindrance, the present study performed the in vitro enzymatic, biochemical, and biological activities of E. opaciventre to better understand the properties of this venom. Its venom showed several proteins with masses ranging from 1-116 kDa, highlighting the complexity of this venom. Compounds with high enzymatic activity were described, elucidating different enzyme classes present in the venom, with the presence of the first L-amino acid oxidase in Hymenoptera venoms being reported. Its crude venom contributes to a state of blood incoagulability, acting on primary hemostasis, inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation, and operating on the fibrinolysis of loose red clots. Furthermore, the E. opaciventre venom preferentially induced cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cell lines and three different species of Leishmania. These data shed a comprehensive portrait of enzymatic components, biochemical and biological effects in vitro, opening perspectives for bio-pharmacological application of E. opaciventre venom molecules.
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17
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Ferreira NIR, Verhaagh M, Heymann EW. Myrmecovory in Neotropical primates. Primates 2021; 62:871-877. [PMID: 34586529 PMCID: PMC8526450 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00946-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ants are the dominant group of animals in many habitats, particularly in tropical rainforests. High abundance and formation of large colonies convert them into a potential food source for a broad spectrum of animals. In this paper we review myrmecovory (consumption of ants) in Neotropical primates. Myrmecovory has been reported from 57 taxa (species + subspecies) out of 217 species of Neotropical primates, representing 18 out of 22 genera. The proportion of ants in the animal portion of the diet is highest amongst members of the genera Cebus, Sapajus, Cheracebus and Plecturocebus, but generally low in callitrichids, large pitheciids (Cacajao, Chiropotes) and atelids. Ants from seven subfamilies of Formicidae (out of 13 subfamilies found in the Neotropics) are consumed, including taxa with and without functional sting and with varying other defences. Foraging technics employed in myrmecovory range from picking ants from open substrates to extractive foraging involving the destruction of ant nests or shelters, but tool use has not been reported. We conclude that myrmecovory is widespread amongst Neotropical primates but on average contributes only a minor proportion of the diet. The diversity of foraging technics employed and lack of tool use in Neotropical primate myrmecovory, even for ants with functional stings and aggressive biting, suggests that tool use for myrmecovory in hominids has not evolved in response to ant defences but is a consequence of enhanced cognitive skills that evolved under other selection pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja I Risch Ferreira
- Abteilung Soziobiologie/Anthropologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Verhaltensökologie and Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum-Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Manfred Verhaagh
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Erbprinzenstr. 13, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie and Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum-Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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McKenzie SK, Winston ME, Grewe F, Vargas Asensio G, Rodríguez-Hernández N, Rubin BER, Murillo-Cruz C, von Beeren C, Moreau CS, Suen G, Pinto-Tomás AA, Kronauer DJC. The genomic basis of army ant chemosensory adaptations. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6627-6641. [PMID: 34582590 PMCID: PMC9292994 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of mass raiding has allowed army ants to become dominant arthropod predators in the tropics. Although a century of research has led to many discoveries about behavioural, morphological and physiological adaptations in army ants, almost nothing is known about the molecular basis of army ant biology. Here we report the genome of the iconic New World army ant Eciton burchellii, and show that it is unusually compact, with a reduced gene complement relative to other ants. In contrast to this overall reduction, a particular gene subfamily (9‐exon ORs) expressed predominantly in female antennae is expanded. This subfamily has previously been linked to the recognition of hydrocarbons, key olfactory cues used in insect communication and prey discrimination. Confocal microscopy of the brain showed a corresponding expansion in a putative hydrocarbon response centre within the antennal lobe, while scanning electron microscopy of the antenna revealed a particularly high density of hydrocarbon‐sensitive sensory hairs. E. burchellii shares these features with its predatory and more cryptic relative, the clonal raider ant. By integrating genomic, transcriptomic and anatomical analyses in a comparative context, our work thus provides evidence that army ants and their relatives possess a suite of modifications in the chemosensory system that may be involved in behavioural coordination and prey selection during social predation. It also lays the groundwork for future studies of army ant biology at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Felix Grewe
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gabriel Vargas Asensio
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Molecular y Celular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Natalia Rodríguez-Hernández
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Benjamin E R Rubin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Catalina Murillo-Cruz
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Christoph von Beeren
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Departments of Entomology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Garret Suen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Adrian A Pinto-Tomás
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Molecular y Celular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Escuela de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
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19
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Waiker P, de Abreu FCP, Luna-Lucena D, Freitas FCP, Simões ZLP, Rueppell O. Recombination mapping of the Brazilian stingless bee Frieseomelitta varia confirms high recombination rates in social hymenoptera. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:673. [PMID: 34536998 PMCID: PMC8449902 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07987-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Meiotic recombination is a fundamental genetic process that shuffles allele combinations and promotes accurate segregation of chromosomes. Analyses of the ubiquitous variation of recombination rates within and across species suggest that recombination is evolving adaptively. All studied insects with advanced eusociality have shown exceptionally high recombination rates, which may represent a prominent case of adaptive evolution of recombination. However, our understanding of the relationship between social evolution and recombination rates is incomplete, partly due to lacking empirical data. Here, we present a linkage map of the monandrous, advanced eusocial Brazilian stingless bee, Frieseomelitta varia, providing the first recombination analysis in the diverse Meliponini (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Results Our linkage map includes 1417 markers in 19 linkage groups. This map spans approximately 2580 centimorgans, and comparisons to the physical genome assembly indicate that it covers more than 75 % of the 275 Megabasepairs (Mbp) F. varia genome. Thus, our study results in a genome-wide recombination rate estimate of 9.3–12.5 centimorgan per Mbp. This value is higher than estimates from nonsocial insects and comparable to other highly social species, although it does not support our prediction that monandry and strong queen-worker caste divergence of F. varia lead to even higher recombination rates than other advanced eusocial species. Conclusions Our study expands the association between elevated recombination and sociality in the order Hymenoptera and strengthens the support for the hypothesis that advanced social evolution in hymenopteran insects invariably selects for high genomic recombination rates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07987-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Waiker
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver St, Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA.
| | - Fabiano Carlos Pinto de Abreu
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Danielle Luna-Lucena
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia Cristina Paula Freitas
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Zilá Luz Paulino Simões
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver St, Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, AB, T6G 2E9, Edmonton, Canada
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20
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Boudinot BE, Moosdorf OTD, Beutel RG, Richter A. Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex- and caste-limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant. J Morphol 2021; 282:1616-1658. [PMID: 34427942 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ants are highly polyphenic Hymenoptera, with at least three distinct adult forms in the vast majority of species. Their sexual dimorphism, however, is overlooked to the point of being a nearly forgotten phenomenon. Using a multimodal approach, we interrogate the near total head microanatomy of the male of Dorylus helvolus, the "sausagefly," and compare it with the conspecific or near-conspecific female castes, the "driver ants." We found that no specific features were shared uniquely between the workers and males to the exclusion of the queens, indicating independence of male and worker development; males and queens, however, uniquely shared several features. Certain previous generalizations about ant sexual dimorphism are confirmed, while we also discover discrete muscular presences and absences, for which reason we provide a coarse characterization of functional morphology. Based on the unexpected retention of a medial carinate line on the structurally simplified mandible of the male, we postulate a series of developmental processes to explain the patterning of ant mandibles. We invoke functional and anatomical principles to classify sensilla. Critically, we observe an inversion of the expected pattern of male-queen mandible development: male Dorylus mandibles are extremely large while queen mandibles are poorly developed. To explain this, we posit that the reproductive-limited mandible phenotype is canalized in Dorylus, thus partially decoupling the queen and worker castes. We discuss alternative hypotheses and provide further comparisons to understand mandibular evolution in army ants. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the expression of the falcate phenotype in the queen is coincidental, that is, a "spandrel," and that the form of male mandibles is also generally coincidental across the ants. We conclude that the theory of ant development and evolution is incomplete without consideration of the male system, and we call for focused study of male anatomy and morphogenesis, and of trait limitation across all castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Olivia Tikuma Diana Moosdorf
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian Richter
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
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21
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Naser-Khdour S, Minh BQ, Lanfear R. Assessing Confidence in Root Placement on Phylogenies: An Empirical Study Using Non-Reversible Models for Mammals. Syst Biol 2021; 71:959-972. [PMID: 34387349 PMCID: PMC9260635 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Using time-reversible Markov models is a very common practice in phylogenetic analysis,
because although we expect many of their assumptions to be violated by empirical data,
they provide high computational efficiency. However, these models lack the ability to
infer the root placement of the estimated phylogeny. In order to compensate for the
inability of these models to root the tree, many researchers use external information such
as using outgroup taxa or additional assumptions such as molecular clocks. In this study,
we investigate the utility of nonreversible models to root empirical phylogenies and
introduce a new bootstrap measure, the rootstrap, which provides
information on the statistical support for any given root position. [Bootstrap;
nonreversible models; phylogenetic inference; root estimation.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Suha Naser-Khdour
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Bui Quang Minh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Research School of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Robert Lanfear
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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22
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Qin Z, Zhao Q, Choiniere JN, Clark JM, Benton MJ, Xu X. Growth and miniaturization among alvarezsauroid dinosaurs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3687-3693.e5. [PMID: 34233160 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sustained miniaturization, here defined as a drop in body size of at least two orders of magnitude from ancestors to descendants, is a widespread and important phenomenon in animals,1-3 but among dinosaurs, miniaturization occurred only rarely, once in the lineage leading to birds and once in the Alvarezsauroidea,1,3-5 one of the most bizarre theropod groups.1,5-7 Miniaturization and powered flight are intimately linked in avialan theropods,3,5,6,8-11 but the causes and patterns of body size reduction are less clear in the non-volant Alvarezsauroidea.1,5,6,12,13 Here, we present results from analyses on a comprehensive dataset, which not only includes new data from early-branching alvarezsauroids but also considers the ontogenetic effect based on histological data. Our analyses show that alvarezsauroid body mass underwent rapid miniaturization from around 110 to 85 mya and that there was a phylogenetic radiation of small-sized alvarezsauroids in the Late Cretaceous. Our analyses also indicate that growth strategies were highly variable among alvarezsauroids, with significant differences among extremely small taxa. The suggested alvarezsauroid miniaturization and associated phylogenetic radiation are coincident with the emergence of ants and termites, and combining previous functional morphological data, our study suggests that alvarezsauroid miniaturization might have been driven by ecological changes during the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, more specifically by a shift to the myrmecophagous ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichuan Qin
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Qi Zhao
- Key Laboratory for the Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center of Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jonah N Choiniere
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James M Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory for the Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center of Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China.
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23
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Prebus MM. Taxonomic revision of the Temnothorax salvini clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key to the clades of New World Temnothorax. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11514. [PMID: 34249486 PMCID: PMC8254503 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Temnothorax is a large myrmicine ant genus with a range spanning the northern hemisphere, including the northern half of the Neotropics. Many of the Neotropical species were originally placed in the now defunct genus Macromischa. Recent molecular work has revealed that distinct lineages of Neotropical Temnothorax have arrived by evolutionary convergenceat a morphological syndrome with characteristics that were used to diagnose the former genus Macromischa. One such lineage is the salvini clade, which in this study is redefined to contain 63 species, 35 of which are described as new. A key to all species of the salvini clade based on the worker caste is provided; additionally, a worker-based key to all clades of the New World is provided. The following species are redescribed: T. albispinus (Wheeler), T. androsanus (Wheeler), T. annexus (Baroni Urbani), T. augusti (Baroni Urbani), T. aztecus (Wheeler), T. ciferrii (Menozzi & Russo), T. flavidulus (Wheeler & Mann), T. fuscatus (Mann), T. goniops (Baroni Urbani), T. huehuetenangoi (Baroni Urbani), T. ixili (Baroni Urbani), T. leucacanthus (Baroni Urbani), T. nigricans (Baroni Urbani), T. ocarinae (Baroni Urbani), T. pastinifer (Emery), T. pergandei (Emery), T. politus (Smith), T. pulchellus (Emery), T. rugosus (Mackay), T. salvini (Forel), T. schwarzi (Mann), T. skwarrae (Wheeler), T. subditivus (Wheeler), T. tenuisculptus (Baroni Urbani), T. terricola (Mann), T. terrigena (Wheeler), T. torrei (Aguayo). The gynes of T. ciferrii, T. fuscatus, T. ixili, T. politus, T. rugosus, T. salvini, T. tenuisculptus and T. torrei are described. The males of T. albispinus and T. fuscatus are described. Lectotypes are designated for T. androsanus, T. annexus, T. augusti, T. aztecus, T. flavidulus, T. fuscatus, T. nigricans, T. pastinifer, T. pergandei, T. politus, T. pulchellus, T. salvini, T. skwarrae, T. subditivus, T. terricola, and T. terrigena. A neotype for Temnothorax salvini obscurior (Forel) is designated, the taxon is raised to species, and a replacement name is designated: T. longicaulisstat. nov., nom. nov. The following species are described as new: T. achiisp. nov., T. acuminatussp. nov., T. acutispinosussp. nov., T. agavicolasp. nov., T. altinodussp. nov., T. arbustussp. nov., T. aureussp. nov., T. aztecoidessp. nov., T. bahorucosp. nov., T. balaclavasp. nov., T. balneariussp. nov., T. bisonsp. nov., T. casanovaisp. nov., T. fortispinosussp. nov., T. harlequinasp. nov., T. hippolytussp. nov., T. laticrussp. nov., T. leucacanthoidessp. nov., T. longinoisp. nov., T. magnabullasp. nov., T. misomoschussp. nov., T. nebliselvasp. nov., T. obtusigastersp. nov., T. paraztecussp. nov., T. parralensissp. nov., T. parvidentatussp. nov., T. pilicornissp. nov., T. quercicolasp. nov., T. quetzalsp. nov., T. rutabulafersp. nov., T. terraztecussp. nov., T. tuxtlanussp. nov., T. wettererisp. nov., T. wilsonisp. nov., T. xincaisp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Prebus
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States.,Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
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24
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Herrel A, Lowie A, Miralles A, Gaucher P, Kley NJ, Measey J, Tolley KA. Burrowing in blindsnakes: A preliminary analysis of burrowing forces and consequences for the evolution of morphology. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 304:2292-2302. [PMID: 34089306 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Burrowing is a common behavior in vertebrates. An underground life-style offers many advantages but also poses important challenges including the high energetic cost of burrowing. Scolecophidians are a group of morphologically derived subterranean snakes that show great diversity in form and function. Although it has been suggested that leptotyphlopids and anomalepidids mostly use existing underground passageways, typhlopids are thought to create their own burrows. However, the mechanisms used to create burrows and the associated forces that animals may be able to generate remain unknown. Here, we provide the first data on push forces in scolecophidians and compare them with those in some burrowing alethinophidian snakes. Our results show that typhlopids are capable of generating higher forces for a given size than other snakes. The observed differences are not due to variation in body diameter or length, suggesting fundamental differences in the mechanics of burrowing or the way in which axial muscles are used. Qualitative observations of skull and vertebral shape suggest that the higher forces exerted by typhlopids may have impacted the evolution of their anatomy. Our results provide the basis for future studies exploring the diversity of form and function in this fascinating group of animals. Quantitative comparisons of the cranial and vertebral shape in addition to collecting functional and ecological data on a wider array of species would be particularly important to test the patterns described here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N, Bâtiment d'Anatomie Comparée, Paris, France.,Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Lowie
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Miralles
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes amazoniens Centre de Recherche de Montabo, Cayenne cédex, France
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - John Measey
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Center for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Krystal A Tolley
- Kirstenbosch Research Center, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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25
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Eyer PA, Vargo EL, Peeters C. One tree, many colonies: colony structure, breeding system and colonization events of host trees in tunnelling Melissotarsus ants. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Ants exhibit a striking variety of lifestyles, including highly specialist or mutualist species. The minute blind workers of the African genus Melissotarsus chew tunnels in live trees to accommodate their obligate partner scale insects. Their modified legs are adapted for tunnelling, but are unsuited for walking outside, confining these ants to their initial host tree. Here, we investigated whether this unique lifestyle results in complex patterns of genetic diversity at different scales, from the same tree to different populations. Using 19 microsatellite markers, we assessed their mating strategy and colony structure among and across populations in South Africa. We showed that only one queen reproduces within a colony, mated with up to three males. However, several inseminated dealate queens are present in colonies; one probably replaces the older queen as the colony ages. The reproduction of a single queen per colony at a given time results in genetic differences between colonies, even those located on the same tree. We discuss how the slow process of colony digging under the bark and the lack of workers patrolling above the bark might result in reduced competition between colonies and allow several secluded colonies to cohabit the cramped space on a single tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TXUSA
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TXUSA
| | - Christian Peeters
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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26
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Csősz S, Loss AC, Fisher BL. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Aphaenogaster swammerdami group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e10900. [PMID: 33717685 PMCID: PMC7934650 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Madagascar is famous for its extremely rich biodiversity; the island harbors predominantly endemic and threatened communities meriting special attention from biodiversity scientists. Continuing ongoing efforts to inventory the Malagasy ant fauna, we revise the species currently placed in the myrmicine genus Aphaenogaster Mayr. One species described from Madagascar, Aphaenogaster friederichsi Forel, is synonymized with the Palearctic A. subterranea Latreille syn. nov. This species is considered neither native to Madagascar nor established in the region. This revision focuses on the balance of species in the A. swammerdami group which are all endemic to Madagascar. Methods The diversity of the Malagasy Aphaenogaster fauna was assessed via application of multiple lines of evidence involving quantitative morphometric, qualitative morphological, and DNA sequence data. (1) Morphometric investigation was based on hypothesis-free Nest Centroid clustering (NC-clustering) combined with PArtitioning based on Recursive Thresholding (PART) to estimate the number of morphological clusters and determine the most probable boundaries between them. This protocol provides a repeatable and testable approach to find patterns in continuous morphometric data. Species boundaries and the reliability of morphological clusters recognized by these exploratory analyses were tested via confirmatory Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). (2) Qualitative, external morphological characteristics (e.g., shape, coloration patterns, setae number) were subjectively evaluated in order to create a priori grouping hypotheses, and confirm and improve species delimitation. (3) Species delimitation analyses based on mitochondrial DNA sequences from cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene fragments were carried out to test the putative species previously delimited by morphological and morphometric analyses. Results Five species can be inferred based on the integrated evaluation of multiple lines of evidence; of these, three are new to science: Aphaenogaster bresslerisp. n., A. gonacantha (Emery, 1899), A. makaysp. n., A. sahafinasp. n., and A. swammerdamiForel, 1886. In addition, three new synonymies were found for A. swammerdami Forel, 1886 (A. swammerdami clara Santschi, 1915 syn. n., A. swammerdami curta Forel, 1891 syn. n. and A. swammerdami spinipes Santschi, 1911 syn. n.). Descriptions and redefinitions for each taxon and an identification key for their worker castes using qualitative traits and morphometric data are given. Geographic maps depicting species distributions and biological information regarding nesting habits for the species are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandor Csősz
- Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Ana C Loss
- National Institute of the Atlantic Forest, Santa Teresa, Brazil
| | - Brian L Fisher
- Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Hanna L, Abouheif E. The origin of wing polyphenism in ants: An eco-evo-devo perspective. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 141:279-336. [PMID: 33602491 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eusociality, where solitary individuals integrate into a single colony, is a major transition in individuality. In ants, the origin of eusociality coincided with the origin of a wing polyphenism approximately 160 million years ago, giving rise to colonies with winged queens and wingless workers. As a consequence, both eusociality and wing polyphenism are nearly universal features of all ants. Here, we synthesize fossil, ecological, developmental, and evolutionary data in an attempt to understand the factors that contributed to the origin of wing polyphenism in ants. We propose multiple models and hypotheses to explain how wing polyphenism is orchestrated at multiple levels, from environmental cues to gene networks. Furthermore, we argue that the origin of wing polyphenism enabled the subsequent evolution of morphological diversity across the ants. We finally conclude by outlining several outstanding questions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Hanna
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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28
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Griebenow ZH. Synonymisation of the male-based ant genus Phaulomyrma (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) with Leptanilla based upon Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic inference. INVERTEBR SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/is20059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although molecular data have proven indispensable in confidently resolving the phylogeny of many clades across the tree of life, these data may be inaccessible for certain taxa. The resolution of taxonomy in the ant subfamily Leptanillinae is made problematic by the absence of DNA sequence data for leptanilline taxa that are known only from male specimens, including the monotypic genus Phaulomyrma Wheeler & Wheeler. Focusing upon the considerable diversity of undescribed male leptanilline morphospecies, the phylogeny of 35 putative morphospecies sampled from across the Leptanillinae, plus an outgroup, is inferred from 11 nuclear loci and 41 discrete male morphological characters using a Bayesian total-evidence framework, with Phaulomyrma represented by morphological data only. Based upon the results of this analysis Phaulomyrma is synonymised with Leptanilla Emery, and male-based diagnoses for Leptanilla that are grounded in phylogeny are provided, under both broad and narrow circumscriptions of that genus. This demonstrates the potential utility of a total-evidence approach in inferring the phylogeny of rare extant taxa for which molecular data are unavailable and begins a long-overdue systematic revision of the Leptanillinae that is focused on male material.
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29
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Boudinot BE, Perrichot V, Chaul JCM. † Camelosphecia gen. nov., lost ant-wasp intermediates from the mid-Cretaceous (Hymenoptera, Formicoidea). Zookeys 2020; 1005:21-55. [PMID: 33390754 PMCID: PMC7762752 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1005.57629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils provide primary material evidence for the pattern and timing of evolution. The newly discovered "beast ants" from mid-Cretaceous Burmite, †Camelosphecia gen. nov., display an exceptional combination of plesiomorphies, including absence of the metapleural gland, and a series of unique apomorphies. Females and males, represented by †C. fossor sp. nov. and †C. venator sp. nov., differ in a number of features which suggest distinct sexual biologies. Combined-evidence phylogenetic analysis recovers †Camelosphecia and †Camelomecia as a clade which forms the extinct sister group of the Formicidae. Notably, these genera are only known from alate males and females; workers, if present, have yet to be recovered. Based on ongoing study of the total Aculeata informed by the beast ant genera, we provide a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea. We also provide the first comprehensive key to the major groupings of Mesozoic Formicoidea, alongside a synoptic classification in which †Zigrasimeciinaestat. nov. and †Myanmyrma maraudera comb. nov. are recognized. Finally, a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea is outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon E. Boudinot
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USAUniversity of CaliforniaDavisUnited States of America
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, 1 Erberstraße, 07743 Jena, Thüringen, GermanyFriedrich-Schiller-UniversitätJenaGermany
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences – UMR 6118, F-35000, Rennes, FranceUniv. Rennes, CNRSRennesFrance
| | - Júlio C. M. Chaul
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal do ViçosaViçosaBrazil
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Moura MN, Cardoso DC, Cristiano MP. The tight genome size of ants: diversity and evolution under ancestral state reconstruction and base composition. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The mechanisms and processes driving change and variation in the genome size (GS) are not well known, and only a small set of ant species has been studied. Ants are an ecologically successful insect group present in most distinct ecosystems worldwide. Considering their wide distribution and ecological plasticity in different environmental contexts, we aimed to expand GS estimation within Formicidae to examine distribution patterns and variation in GS and base composition and to reconstruct the ancestral state of this character in an attempt to elucidate the generalized pattern of genomic expansions. Genome size estimates were generated for 99 ant species, including new GS estimates for 91 species of ants, and the mean GS of Formicidae was found to be 0.38 pg. The AT/GC ratio was 62.40/37.60. The phylogenetic reconstruction suggested an ancestral GS of 0.38 pg according to the Bayesian inference/Markov chain Monte Carlo method and 0.37 pg according to maximum likelihood and parsimony methods; significant differences in GS were observed between the subfamilies sampled. Our results suggest that the evolution of GS in Formicidae occurred through loss and accumulation of non-coding regions, mainly transposable elements, and occasionally by whole genome duplication. However, further studies are needed to verify whether these changes in DNA content are related to colonization processes, as suggested at the intraspecific level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Neves Moura
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Danon Clemes Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maykon Passos Cristiano
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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31
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Blaimer BB, Gotzek D, Brady SG, Buffington ML. Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses re-write the evolution of parasitism within cynipoid wasps. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:155. [PMID: 33228574 PMCID: PMC7686688 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01716-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitoidism, a specialized life strategy in which a parasite eventually kills its host, is frequently found within the insect order Hymenoptera (wasps, ants and bees). A parasitoid lifestyle is one of two dominant life strategies within the hymenopteran superfamily Cynipoidea, with the other being an unusual plant-feeding behavior known as galling. Less commonly, cynipoid wasps exhibit inquilinism, a strategy where some species have adapted to usurp other species' galls instead of inducing their own. Using a phylogenomic data set of ultraconserved elements from nearly all lineages of Cynipoidea, we here generate a robust phylogenetic framework and timescale to understand cynipoid systematics and the evolution of these life histories. RESULTS Our reconstructed evolutionary history for Cynipoidea differs considerably from previous hypotheses. Rooting our analyses with non-cynipoid outgroups, the Paraulacini, a group of inquilines, emerged as sister-group to the rest of Cynipoidea, rendering the gall wasp family Cynipidae paraphyletic. The families Ibaliidae and Liopteridae, long considered archaic and early-branching parasitoid lineages, were found nested well within the Cynipoidea as sister-group to the parasitoid Figitidae. Cynipoidea originated in the early Jurassic around 190 Ma. Either inquilinism or parasitoidism is suggested as the ancestral and dominant strategy throughout the early evolution of cynipoids, depending on whether a simple (three states: parasitoidism, inquilinism and galling) or more complex (seven states: parasitoidism, inquilinism and galling split by host use) model is employed. CONCLUSIONS Our study has significant impact on understanding cynipoid evolution and highlights the importance of adequate outgroup sampling. We discuss the evolutionary timescale of the superfamily in relation to their insect hosts and host plants, and outline how phytophagous galling behavior may have evolved from entomophagous, parasitoid cynipoids. Our study has established the framework for further physiological and comparative genomic work between gall-making, inquiline and parasitoid lineages, which could also have significant implications for the evolution of diverse life histories in other Hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie B Blaimer
- Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany.
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Dietrich Gotzek
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Seán G Brady
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew L Buffington
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS-USDA, C/O NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
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32
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Barden P, Perrichot V, Wang B. Specialized Predation Drives Aberrant Morphological Integration and Diversity in the Earliest Ants. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3818-3824.e4. [PMID: 32763171 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Extinct haidomyrmecine "hell ants" are among the earliest ants known [1, 2]. These eusocial Cretaceous taxa diverged from extant lineages prior to the most recent common ancestor of all living ants [3] and possessed bizarre scythe-like mouthparts along with a striking array of horn-like cephalic projections [4-6]. Despite the morphological breadth of the fifteen thousand known extant ant species, phenotypic syndromes found in the Cretaceous are without parallel and the evolutionary drivers of extinct diversity are unknown. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for aberrant hell ant morphology through phylogenetic reconstruction and comparative methods, as well as a newly reported specimen. We report a remarkable instance of fossilized predation that provides direct evidence for the function of dorsoventrally expanded mandibles and elaborate horns. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that hell ants captured other arthropods between mandible and horn in a manner that could only be achieved by articulating their mouthparts in an axial plane perpendicular to that of modern ants. We demonstrate that the head capsule and mandibles of haidomyrmecines are uniquely integrated as a consequence of this predatory mode and covary across species while finding no evidence of such modular integration in extant ant groups. We suggest that hell ant cephalic integration-analogous to the vertebrate skull-triggered a pathway for an ancient adaptive radiation and expansion into morphospace unoccupied by any living taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China.
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33
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Sharaf MR, Gotzek D, Guénard B, Fisher BL, Aldawood AS, Al Dhafer HM, Mohamed AA. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and morphological reassessments of thief ants identify a new potential case of biological invasions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12040. [PMID: 32694527 PMCID: PMC7374620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69029-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Species delimitation offered by DNA-based approaches can provide important insights into the natural history and diversity of species, but the cogency of such processes is limited without multigene phylogenies. Recent attempts to barcode various Solenopsidini ant taxa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), including the thief ant Solenopsis saudiensis Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011 described from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), were precipitated by the unexpected existence of a closely related species, the Nearctic S. abdita Thompson, 1989 within the S. molesta species complex native to Florida. This finding left the species status of the former uncertain. Here, we investigated the taxonomy and phylogeny of these two species to determine whether or not S. abdita represents a new global tramp species. We inferred a phylogeny of the two species using DNA sequence data from four nuclear genes (Abd-A, EF1α-F1, EF1α-F2, and Wingless) and one mitochondrial gene (COI) sampled from populations in Florida, Guatemala, Hawaii, and Saudi Arabia. Both species clustered into one distinct and robust clade. The taxonomy of S. saudiensis was re‐examined using morphometrics. A reassessment of the morphological characters used to diagnose the worker and queen castes were consistent with molecular evidence. Based on combined morphological and molecular evidences S. saudiensis is declared as a junior synonym of S. abdita (syn. nov.). In addition, our findings indicate that S. abdita is a novel global tramp species which has a far wider distribution than previously thought and has established itself in many new habitats and different geographic realms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa R Sharaf
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Dietrich Gotzek
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Brian L Fisher
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
| | - Abdulrahman S Aldawood
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hathal M Al Dhafer
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Amr A Mohamed
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, PO Box 12613, Giza, Egypt
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34
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Depa Ł, Kaszyca‐Taszakowska N, Taszakowski A, Kanturski M. Ant‐induced evolutionary patterns in aphids. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1574-1589. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Depa
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Bankowa 9 40‐007 Katowice Poland
| | - Natalia Kaszyca‐Taszakowska
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Bankowa 9 40‐007 Katowice Poland
| | - Artur Taszakowski
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Bankowa 9 40‐007 Katowice Poland
| | - Mariusz Kanturski
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Bankowa 9 40‐007 Katowice Poland
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35
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Wang M, Liu Y, Wen T, Liu W, Gao Q, Zhao J, Xiong Z, Wang Z, Jiang W, Yu Y, Wu L, Yuan Y, Wei X, Xu J, Cheng M, Zhang P, Li P, Hou Y, Yang H, Zhang G, Li Q, Liu C, Liu L. Chromatin accessibility and transcriptome landscapes of Monomorium pharaonis brain. Sci Data 2020; 7:217. [PMID: 32641764 PMCID: PMC7343836 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-0556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of social organization (eusociality) is a major event in insect evolution. Although previous studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying caste differentiation and social behavior of eusocial insects including ants and honeybees, the molecular circuits governing sociality in these insects remain obscure. In this study, we profiled the transcriptome and chromatin accessibility of brain tissues in three Monomorium pharaonis ant castes: queens (including mature and un-mated queens), males and workers. We provide a comprehensive dataset including 16 RNA-sequencing and 16 assay for transposase accessible chromatin (ATAC)-sequencing profiles. We also demonstrate strong reproducibility of the datasets and have identified specific genes and open chromatin regions in the genome that may be associated with the social function of these castes. Our data will be a valuable resource for further studies of insect behaviour, particularly the role of brain in the control of eusociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Wang
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yang Liu
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Tinggang Wen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution, Kunming Institution of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Qionghua Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution, Kunming Institution of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution, Kunming Institution of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Zijun Xiong
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Zhifeng Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yeya Yu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- BGI College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Liang Wu
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yue Yuan
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wei
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Jiangshan Xu
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Mengnan Cheng
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Panyi Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yong Hou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution, Kunming Institution of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650223, China
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Qiye Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Chuanyu Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
| | - Longqi Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
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Andras JP, Hollis KL, Carter KA, Couldwell G, Nowbahari E. Analysis of ants' rescue behavior reveals heritable specialization for first responders. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb212530. [PMID: 32029458 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.212530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In colonies of Cataglyphis cursor ants, a single queen mates with multiple males, creating the foundation for heritable behavioral specializations. A novel and unique candidate for such specializations is rescue behavior, a precisely delivered form of altruism in which workers attempt to release trapped nestmates and which relies on short-term memory of previous actions to increase its efficiency. Consistent with task specialization, not all individuals participate; instead, some individuals move away from the victim, which gives rescuers unrestricted access. Using a bioassay to identify rescuers and non-rescuers, coupled with paternity assignment via polymorphic microsatellite markers, we not only show that rescue behavior is heritable, with 34% of the variation explained by paternity, but also establish that rescue, heretofore overlooked in analyses of division of labor, is a true specialization, an ant version of first responders. Moreover, this specialization emerges as early as 5 days of age, and the frequency of rescuers remains constant across ants' age ranges. The extremely broad range of these ants' heritable polyethism provides further support for the critical role of polyandry in increasing the efficiency of colony structure and, in turn, reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason P Andras
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Karen L Hollis
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Kristyn A Carter
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Genevieve Couldwell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1462, USA
| | - Elise Nowbahari
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
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37
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Micolino R, Cristiano MP, Cardoso DC. Karyotype and putative chromosomal inversion suggested by integration of cytogenetic and molecular data of the fungus-farming ant Mycetomoellerius iheringi Emery, 1888. COMPARATIVE CYTOGENETICS 2020; 14:197-210. [PMID: 32431788 PMCID: PMC7225177 DOI: 10.3897/compcytogen.v14i2.49846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Comparative cytogenetic analyses are being increasingly used to collect information on species evolution, for example, diversification of closely related lineages and identification of morphologically indistinguishable species or lineages. Here, we have described the karyotype of the fungus-farming ant Mycetomoellerius iheringi Emery, 1888 and investigated its evolutionary relationships on the basis of molecular and cytogenetic data. The M. iheringi karyotype consists of 2n = 20 chromosomes (2K = 18M + 2SM). We also demonstrated that this species has the classical insect TTAGG telomere organization. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that M. iheringi is phylogenetically closer to M. cirratus Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão, 2005 and M. kempfi Fowler, 1982. We compared M. iheringi with other congeneric species such as M. holmgreni Wheeler, 1925 and inferred that M. iheringi probably underwent a major pericentric inversion in one of its largest chromosomes, making it submetacentric. We discussed our results in the light of the phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Micolino
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990,Curitiba, PR, BrazilUniversidade Federal do ParanáCuritibaBrazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP), Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Ouro PretoOuro PretoBrazil
| | - Maykon Passos Cristiano
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP), Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Ouro PretoOuro PretoBrazil
| | - Danon Clemes Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990,Curitiba, PR, BrazilUniversidade Federal do ParanáCuritibaBrazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP), Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Ouro PretoOuro PretoBrazil
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38
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Godfrey RK, Gronenberg W. Linking Colony Size with Foraging Behavior and Brain Investment in Odorous Ants (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2019; 95:15-24. [PMID: 31865324 DOI: 10.1159/000504643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Superorganisms represent a unique level of biological organization in which the phenotype of the reproductive unit, the colony, results from traits expressed at the level of individual workers. Because body size scaling has important consequences for cell diversity and system complexity in solitary organisms, colony size is a trait of particular interest in superorganism evolution. In some instances, division of labor and worker polymorphism scale with colony size, but in general little is known about how colony size drives differences in individual-level behavior or neural traits. Ants represent the greatest diversity of superorganisms and provide a manner of natural experiment to test trends in trait evolution across multiple instances of colony size expansion. In this study, we control for environmental differences and worker size polymorphism to test if colony size correlates with measures of foraging behavior and brain size in dolichoderine ants. We present data from 3 species ranked by colony size. Our results suggest colony size correlates with measures of exploratory behavior and brain investment, with small-colony ants showing higher exploratory drive and faster exploration rate than the larger colony species, and greater relative investment in the primary olfactory brain region, the antennal lobe, than the larger colony species.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Keating Godfrey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA, .,Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA,
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39
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Micolino R, Cristiano MP, Cardoso DC. Population-Based Cytogenetic Banding Analysis and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Neotropical Fungus-Farming Ant Trachymyrmex holmgreni Wheeler, 1925. Cytogenet Genome Res 2019; 159:151-161. [DOI: 10.1159/000503913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Trachymyrmex is one of the most species-rich genera within fungus-farming ants and presents intraspecific cytogenetic polymorphisms as well as possible cryptic species. This ant genus is currently paraphyletic. Therefore, to unravel systematic and taxonomic misunderstandings, it is necessary to incorporate new information. We aimed to cytogenetically and genetically examine Trachymyrmex holmgreni populations from southern and northern Brazil to identify intraspecific chromosomal variations that support incipient speciation and reveal the species' position in a molecular phylogeny. Our cytogenetic approach did not show population variation in the mapping of both 18S rDNA and the TTAGG(6) motif, presenting instead a pattern characteristic of correlated species. However, the clustered pattern of the microsatellite GA(15) showed significant differences among populations: a well-defined block in each homologue, distinctly irregular signs between homologues, and blocks in 2 pairs of homologues. Our phylogenetic reconstruction yielded unexpected results, grouping representatives of 3 former morphological groups into 1 clade, namely T. urichii, T. papulatus, and T. holmgreni. Previously, it was suggested that northern and southern populations of T. holmgreni may be undergoing incipient speciation, but we can only indicate that the southernmost population differs prominently from the others in its distribution pattern of the microsatellite GA(15). Our study also supports the uniformity of karyotypes and repetitive DNA from both telomeric sequences and ribosomal DNA in Trachymyrmex studied here. In addition, we clarify some phylogenetic uncertainties within the genus and suggest further relevant systematic changes. Finally, additional studies utilizing other probes and additional populations may allow the detection of hidden genetic variation.
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40
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Siddiqui JA, Chen Z, Li Q, Deng J, Lin X, Huang X. DNA barcoding of aphid-associated ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in a subtropical area of southern China. Zookeys 2019; 879:117-136. [PMID: 31636501 PMCID: PMC6795625 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.879.29705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the most abundant and complex groups of terrestrial insects, ants have associations with many other organismal groups, such as hemipteran insects producing honeydew. With the aim of expanding the knowledge base of ant species associated with aphids, this study analyzed mitochondrial COI barcodes of 301 ant samples for 37 aphid-associated ant species in a subtropical area of southern China. Sequence analyses revealed that the intraspecific and interspecific distances ranged from zero to 7.7%% and 0.2 to 31.7%, respectively. Three barcoding approaches - Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes and Generalized Mixed Yule-coalescent - were used to help delimit ant species based on COI sequences, and their results corresponded well with most of the morphospecies. All three approaches indicate cryptic diversity may exist within Tetramorium bicarinatum and Technomyrmex albipes, with intraspecific genetic distances of 7.7% and 6.24%, respectively. Our analyses also reported five species for the first time from Fujian Province of China, and the COI sequences of nine species are newly added into the GenBank. This study provides information about species diversity of aphid-associated ants in subtropical China and compiles a DNA barcode reference library for future ant barcoding work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Ali Siddiqui
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection of Ministry of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Qiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jun Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiaolan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiaolei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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41
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Zhang H, Bai R, Wu F, Guo W, Yan Z, Yan Q, Zhang Y, Ma J, Zhang J. Genetic diversity, phylogenetic structure and development of core collections in Melilotus accessions from a Chinese gene bank. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13017. [PMID: 31506537 PMCID: PMC6736865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49355-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Melilotus is an important forage legume, with high values as feed and medicine, and widely used as green manure, honey plant, and wildlife habitat enhancer. The genetic diversity, structure and subdivision of this forage crop remain unclear, and plant genetic resources are the basis of biodiversity and ecosystem diversity and have attracted increasing attention. In this study, the whole collection of 573 accessions from the National Gene Bank of Forage Germplasm (NGBFG, China) and 48 accessions from the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS, USA) in genus Melilotus were measured with respect to five seed characters: seed length, width, width-to-length ratio, circumference and 100-seed weight. Shannon' genetic diversity index (H') and phenotypic differentiation (Pst) were calculated to better describe the genetic diversity. The ITS and matK sequences were used to construct phylogenetic trees and study the genetic relationships within genus Melilotu. Based on seed morphology and molecular marker data, we preliminarily developed core collections and the sampling rates of M. albus and M. officinalis were determined to be 15% and 25%, respectively. The results obtained here provide preliminary sorting and supplemental information for the Melilotus collections in NGBFG, China, and establish a reference for further genetic breeding and other related projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, P.R. China
| | - Rong Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Fan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Wenli Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Zhuanzhuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Qi Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China
| | - Jinxing Ma
- National Quality Control & Inspection Centre for Grassland Industry Products, National Animal Husbandry Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jiyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P.R. China.
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42
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Longino JT, Branstetter MG, Ward PS. Ant diversity patterns across tropical elevation gradients: effects of sampling method and subcommunity. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John T. Longino
- Department of Biology The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah 84112 USA
| | | | - Philip S. Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis California 95616 USA
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43
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Ortiz-Sepulveda CM, Van Bocxlaer B, Meneses AD, Fernández F. Molecular and morphological recognition of species boundaries in the neglected ant genus Brachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): toward a taxonomic revision. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-019-00406-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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44
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Elizalde L, Treanor D, Pamminger T, Hughes WOH. Immunity of leaf-cutting ants and its role in host-parasitoid relationships. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 116:49-56. [PMID: 31015014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are an important selection pressure for all organisms, and host immune responses are key in shaping host-parasite interactions. Host species with strong immune defences may be expected to experience lower parasitism; on the other hand, investment in immune function is costly, so hosts that have evolved to invest more in immune defence may be expected to have been under greater selection pressure from parasites. Disentangling the coevolutionary dynamics requires comparative studies that quantify the immune responses of potential hosts of parasites in a community, but such studies are rare. Here, we studied the immune defences of six leaf-cutting ant species in a community for which their relationships with phorid fly parasitoid species are known. We tested whether the strength of the baseline immune defences of the different ant species correlated positively or negatively with parasitoid load (number and abundance of parasitoid species exploiting the ant species), and host specialization of parasitoid species (the proportion of specialist parasitoids using each host). We measured four immune variables: i) the encapsulation response to a standard challenge, levels of ii) phenoloxidase (PO) and iii) prophenoloxidae (PPO) immune enzymes, and iv) the number of haemocytes. We found that ant species differed in their encapsulation response, PO levels and number of haemocytes, and that there was a positive, not negative, correlation across ant species between the strength of several of the immune variables and parasitoid load, but not for host specialization. This is in keeping with the hypothesis that higher parasitoid load selects for greater investment in immune defences. Our results suggest that immunity may be an important factor accounting for the dynamics of host-parasitoid interactions in this community. Similar community-level studies may be insightful, both for understanding host-parasite community ecology and for applications such as biocontrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Elizalde
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez N° 1125, Bariloche 8400, Argentina.
| | - David Treanor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Pamminger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - William O H Hughes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
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45
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Borowiec ML, Rabeling C, Brady SG, Fisher BL, Schultz TR, Ward PS. Compositional heterogeneity and outgroup choice influence the internal phylogeny of the ants. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 134:111-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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46
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Zhou YL, Ślipiński A, Ren D, Parker J. A Mesozoic clown beetle myrmecophile (Coleoptera: Histeridae). eLife 2019; 8:e44985. [PMID: 30990167 PMCID: PMC6467565 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex interspecies relationships are widespread among metazoans, but the evolutionary history of these lifestyles is poorly understood. We describe a fossil beetle in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber that we infer to have been a social impostor of the earliest-known ant colonies. Promyrmister kistneri gen. et sp. nov. belongs to the haeteriine clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae), a major clade of 'myrmecophiles'-specialized nest intruders with dramatic anatomical, chemical and behavioral adaptations for colony infiltration. Promyrmister reveals that myrmecophiles evolved close to the emergence of ant eusociality, in colonies of stem-group ants that predominate Burmese amber, or with cryptic crown-group ants that remain largely unknown at this time. The clown beetle-ant relationship has been maintained ever since by the beetles host-switching to numerous modern ant genera, ultimately diversifying into one of the largest radiations of symbiotic animals. We infer that obligate behavioral symbioses can evolve relatively rapidly, and be sustained over deep time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lingzi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Australian National Insect CollectionCSIROCanberraAustralia
| | - Adam Ślipiński
- Australian National Insect CollectionCSIROCanberraAustralia
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life SciencesCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Joseph Parker
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
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Shilovsky GA, Putyatina TS, Ashapkin VV, Rozina AA, Lyubetsky VA, Minina EP, Bychkovskaia IB, Markov AV, Skulachev VP. Ants as Object of Gerontological Research. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 83:1489-1503. [PMID: 30878024 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918120076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Social insects with identical genotype that form castes with radically different lifespans are a promising model system for studying the mechanisms underlying longevity. The main direction of progressive evolution of social insects, in particular, ants, is the development of the social way of life inextricably linked with the increase in the colony size. Only in a large colony, it is possible to have a developed polyethism, create large food reserves, and actively regulate the nest microclimate. The lifespan of ants hugely varies among genetically similar queens, workers (unproductive females), and males. The main advantage of studies on insects is the determinism of ontogenetic processes, with a single genome leading to completely different lifespans in different castes. This high degree of determinacy is precisely the reason why some researchers (incorrectly) call a colony of ants the "superorganism", emphasizing the fact that during the development, depending on the community needs, ants can switch their ontogenetic programs, which influences their social roles, ability to learn (i.e., the brain [mushroom-like body] plasticity), and, respectively, the spectrum of tasks performed by a given individual. It has been shown that in many types of food behavior, older ants surpass young ones in both performing the tasks and transferring the experience. The balance between the need to reduce the "cost" of non-breeding individuals (short lifespan and small size of workers) and the benefit from experienced long-lived workers possessing useful skills (large size and "non-aging") apparently determines the differences in the lifespan and aging rate of workers in different species of ants. A large spectrum of rigidly determined ontogenetic trajectories in different castes with identical genomes and the possibility of comparison between "evolutionarily advanced" and "primitive" subfamilies (e.g., Formicinae and Ponerinae) make ants an attractive object in the studies of both normal aging and effects of anti-aging drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Shilovsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia. .,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia.,Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - T S Putyatina
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - V V Ashapkin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - A A Rozina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - V A Lyubetsky
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - E P Minina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - I B Bychkovskaia
- Nikiforov Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Control, St. Petersburg, 194044, Russia
| | - A V Markov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - V P Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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48
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Richter A, Keller RA, Rosumek FB, Economo EP, Hita Garcia F, Beutel RG. The cephalic anatomy of workers of the ant species Wasmannia affinis (Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta) and its evolutionary implications. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2019; 49:26-49. [PMID: 30738181 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite the ecological significance of ants and the intensive research attention they have received, thorough treatments of the anatomy and functional morphology are still scarce. In this study we document the head morphology of workers of the myrmicine Wasmannia affinis with optical microscopy, μ-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and 3D reconstruction, providing the first complete anatomical treatment of an ant head with a broad array of modern techniques. We discuss the potential of the applied methods to generate detailed and well-documented morphological data sets with increased efficiency. We also address homology problems, particularly in the context of the cephalic digestive tract. According to our analyses the "pharynx" of previous ant studies is homologous to the prepharynx of other insects. We also discuss the phylogenetic potential and functional significance of the observed characters, with internal features such as tentorium and musculature discussed for the first time. Our investigation underlines that detailed anatomical data for Formicidae are still very fragmentary, which in turn limits our understanding of the major design elements underlying the ant bauplan. We attempt to provide a template for further anatomical studies, which will help to understand the evolution of this fascinating group on the phenotypic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Richter
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
| | - Roberto A Keller
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan; MUHNAC/cE3c -Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Félix Baumgarten Rosumek
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany; Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Francisco Hita Garcia
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Rolf G Beutel
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
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49
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Vieira GA, Prosdocimi F. Accessible molecular phylogenomics at no cost: obtaining 14 new mitogenomes for the ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae from public data. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6271. [PMID: 30697483 PMCID: PMC6348091 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of Next Generation Sequencing has reduced sequencing costs and increased genomic projects from a huge amount of organismal taxa, generating an unprecedented amount of genomic datasets publicly available. Often, only a tiny fraction of outstanding relevance of the genomic data produced by researchers is used in their works. This fact allows the data generated to be recycled in further projects worldwide. The assembly of complete mitogenomes is frequently overlooked though it is useful to understand evolutionary relationships among taxa, especially those presenting poor mtDNA sampling at the level of genera and families. This is exactly the case for ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) and more specifically for the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae, a group of arboreal ants with several cases of convergent coevolution without any complete mitochondrial sequence available. In this work, we assembled, annotated and performed comparative genomics analyses of 14 new complete mitochondria from Pseudomyrmecinae species relying solely on public datasets available from the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). We used all complete mitogenomes available for ants to study the gene order conservation and also to generate two phylogenetic trees using both (i) concatenated set of 13 mitochondrial genes and (ii) the whole mitochondrial sequences. Even though the tree topologies diverged subtly from each other (and from previous studies), our results confirm several known relationships and generate new evidences for sister clade classification inside Pseudomyrmecinae clade. We also performed a synteny analysis for Formicidae and identified possible sites in which nucleotidic insertions happened in mitogenomes of pseudomyrmecine ants. Using a data mining/bioinformatics approach, the current work increased the number of complete mitochondrial genomes available for ants from 15 to 29, demonstrating the unique potential of public databases for mitogenomics studies. The wide applications of mitogenomes in research and presence of mitochondrial data in different public dataset types makes the "no budget mitogenomics" approach ideal for comprehensive molecular studies, especially for subsampled taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. Vieira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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50
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Sparks KS, Andersen AN, Austin AD. A multi-gene phylogeny of Australian Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) results in reinterpretation of the genus and resurrection of Chelaner Emery. INVERTEBR SYST 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/is16080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Monomorium Mayr is a speciose, cosmopolitan genus of myrmicine ants that has had a challenging systematic history, comprising numerous lineages whose relationships are problematic. This study employed an extensive sampling of mostly Australian taxa, along with exemplars of other genera of Solenopsidini, to examine relationships among the continent’s Monomorium fauna. Sequences from elongation factor 1α F2, wingless and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) were analysed using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. The resultant phylogeny resolved Australian Monomorium into two major clades separated by exemplars from other genera; one comprised predominantly species with 11-segmented antennae (corresponding to Monomorium s. str. in a recent study of Myrmicinae) along with three Paleotropical species. The second clade included Australian species with 12-segmented antennae, two New Zealand species and two from New Caledonia. Two Australian cryptobiotic species were resolved as sister to Clade 2. COI analysis indicated that some species (M. fieldi Forel, M. leave Mayr and M. leae Forel) possibly represent cryptic species complexes. The New Zealand M. antipodum Forel was recovered as a valid species, and is closely related to an eastern Australian population. We resurrect the genus Chelaner Emery for species in the second clade (with 12-segmented antennae) and outline morphological characters to separate Chelaner from Monomorium s. str. Fifty-three species of Chelaner are treated as either stat. nov. or stat. rev.
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