Abstract
We marvel at the social complexity of insects, marked by anatomically and behaviorally distinguishable castes, division of labor and specialization - but how do such systems evolve? Insect societies are composed of individuals, each undergoing its own developmental process and each containing its own genetic information and experiencing its own developmental and experiential environment. Yet societies appear to function as if the colonies themselves are individuals with novel "social genes" and novel social developmental processes. We propose an alternative hypothesis. The origins of complex social behavior, from which insect societies emerge, are derived from ancestral developmental programs. These programs originated in ancient solitary insects and required little evolutionary remodeling. We present evidence from behavioral assays, selective breeding, genetic mapping, functional genomics and endocrinology, and comparative anatomy and physiology. These insights explain how complex social behavior can evolve from heterochronic changes in reproductive signaling systems that govern ubiquitous and ancient relationships between behavior and ovarian development.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 334-343 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | BioEssays |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2007 |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Developmental Biology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Plant Science
Cite this
The making of a social insect : Developmental architectures of social design. / Page, Robert; Amdam, Gro.
In: BioEssays, Vol. 29, No. 4, 04.2007, p. 334-343.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The making of a social insect
T2 - Developmental architectures of social design
AU - Page, Robert
AU - Amdam, Gro
PY - 2007/4
Y1 - 2007/4
N2 - We marvel at the social complexity of insects, marked by anatomically and behaviorally distinguishable castes, division of labor and specialization - but how do such systems evolve? Insect societies are composed of individuals, each undergoing its own developmental process and each containing its own genetic information and experiencing its own developmental and experiential environment. Yet societies appear to function as if the colonies themselves are individuals with novel "social genes" and novel social developmental processes. We propose an alternative hypothesis. The origins of complex social behavior, from which insect societies emerge, are derived from ancestral developmental programs. These programs originated in ancient solitary insects and required little evolutionary remodeling. We present evidence from behavioral assays, selective breeding, genetic mapping, functional genomics and endocrinology, and comparative anatomy and physiology. These insights explain how complex social behavior can evolve from heterochronic changes in reproductive signaling systems that govern ubiquitous and ancient relationships between behavior and ovarian development.
AB - We marvel at the social complexity of insects, marked by anatomically and behaviorally distinguishable castes, division of labor and specialization - but how do such systems evolve? Insect societies are composed of individuals, each undergoing its own developmental process and each containing its own genetic information and experiencing its own developmental and experiential environment. Yet societies appear to function as if the colonies themselves are individuals with novel "social genes" and novel social developmental processes. We propose an alternative hypothesis. The origins of complex social behavior, from which insect societies emerge, are derived from ancestral developmental programs. These programs originated in ancient solitary insects and required little evolutionary remodeling. We present evidence from behavioral assays, selective breeding, genetic mapping, functional genomics and endocrinology, and comparative anatomy and physiology. These insights explain how complex social behavior can evolve from heterochronic changes in reproductive signaling systems that govern ubiquitous and ancient relationships between behavior and ovarian development.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34147116930&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34147116930&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/bies.20549
DO - 10.1002/bies.20549
M3 - Article
VL - 29
SP - 334
EP - 343
JO - BioEssays
JF - BioEssays
SN - 0265-9247
IS - 4
ER -