The evolution of eusociality: reproductive head starts of workers

In eusocial species, many individuals forego their personal reproduction to aid the reproduction of their mother or other relatives. Kin selection can favor such behavior for any positive degree of relatedness to the individuals being helped, provided the helper gives them a sufficiently large fitne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1989-05, Vol.86 (9), p.3224-3226
Main Author: Queller, D.C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ANIMAL DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES
Ants
Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Sciences: Evolution
COMPORTAMIENTO SOCIAL
COMPORTEMENT SOCIAL
Employee behavior
ETAPAS DEL DESARROLLO ANIMAL
EVOLUCION
EVOLUTION
Female animals
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HYMENOPTERA
Insect colonies
Insect genetics
Insect reproduction
Insecta
INSECTE
INSECTOS
INSECTS
Invertebrates
KINSHIP
MORTALIDAD
MORTALITE
MORTALITY
PERFORMANCE DE REPRODUCTION
Physiology. Development
polistes exclamans
Queen insects
REPRODUCTIVIDAD
REPRODUCTIVITY
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Social insects
STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT ANIMAL
SUPERVIVENCIA
SURVIE
SURVIVAL
Vespidae
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Summary:In eusocial species, many individuals forego their personal reproduction to aid the reproduction of their mother or other relatives. Kin selection can favor such behavior for any positive degree of relatedness to the individuals being helped, provided the helper gives them a sufficiently large fitness gain compared to the fitness cost of giving up its own reproduction. Yet, little attention has been given to the question of how helpers can aid relatives more than they can aid themselves, particularly in species lacking morphologically specialized castes. One answer to this question is explored here. When a potential helper is born into a colony that has immature young, its help may quickly bring those young to the age of independence. If it left to reproduce alone, it would have to bring its own offspring all the way to independence. The consequences of early mortality therefore differ: solitary reproducers that die early will fail to bring any young to independence, while helpers that die at the same age may have made substantial contributions. Published data from four polistine wasps show that high adult mortality rates and long periods of offspring dependence combine to provide a large selective advantage for worker behavior.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.86.9.3224