TY - JOUR
T1 - Alternative reproductive tactics in the queen-size-dimorphic ant Leptothorax rugatulus (Emery) and their consequences for genetic population structure
AU - Rüppell, O.
AU - Heinze, J.
AU - Hölldobler, B.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We deeply appreciate the support of U. Simon and B. Carey with the flight traps and the assistance of the Southwestern Research Station of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and its volunteers with the field work. The quality of the microsatellite visualization was greatly improved by a visit at the ETH Zürich (“Experimentelle Ökologie” with special thanks to R. Schmid-Hempel) and for their theoretical advice we would like to thank D. Queller, P. Olivieri, K. Ross, and L. Keller. Many fruitful discussions in our departments, especially with K. Schilder, have also contributed to this paper. Financial support came from the DFG (SFB 251, GK “Arthropodenverhalten”), the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes,” the TMR-program “Social Evolution” of the EU and the AMNH. The experiments of this study comply with the current laws of Germany and the USA.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - We report the results of a comprehensive investigation of the queen size dimorphism in the North American ant Leptothorax rugatulus. Employing allozymes and microsatellites as genetic markers, we found no evidence that the gene pools of large (macrogynes) and small (microgynes) queens are distinct. Queens in polygynous colonies are related to each other, supporting the hypothesis that colonies with more than one queen commonly arise by the adoption of daughter queens into their natal colonies. The higher fat content of macrogynes, their predominance in monogynous societies and in small founding colonies, and their greater flight activity favor the view that macrogynes predominantly found colonies independently, while microgynes are specialized for dependent colony founding by readoption. When comparing the genetic structure of three different subpopulations, we found that the alternative life histories had no significant effect on population viscosity at the scale investigated.
AB - We report the results of a comprehensive investigation of the queen size dimorphism in the North American ant Leptothorax rugatulus. Employing allozymes and microsatellites as genetic markers, we found no evidence that the gene pools of large (macrogynes) and small (microgynes) queens are distinct. Queens in polygynous colonies are related to each other, supporting the hypothesis that colonies with more than one queen commonly arise by the adoption of daughter queens into their natal colonies. The higher fat content of macrogynes, their predominance in monogynous societies and in small founding colonies, and their greater flight activity favor the view that macrogynes predominantly found colonies independently, while microgynes are specialized for dependent colony founding by readoption. When comparing the genetic structure of three different subpopulations, we found that the alternative life histories had no significant effect on population viscosity at the scale investigated.
KW - Life history evolution
KW - Microgynes
KW - Population structure
KW - Reproductive tactics
KW - Size polymorphism
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U2 - 10.1007/s002650100359
DO - 10.1007/s002650100359
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034942382
SN - 0340-5443
VL - 50
SP - 189
EP - 197
JO - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
JF - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
IS - 2
ER -