TY - JOUR
T1 - Ancestral developmental potential facilitates parallel evolution in ants
AU - Rajakumar, Rajendhran
AU - San Mauro, Diego
AU - Dijkstra, Michiel B.
AU - Huang, Ming H.
AU - Wheeler, Diana E.
AU - Hiou-Tim, Francois
AU - Khila, Abderrahman
AU - Cournoyea, Michael
AU - Abouheif, Ehab
PY - 2012/1/6
Y1 - 2012/1/6
N2 - Complex worker caste systems have contributed to the evolutionary success of advanced ant societies; however, little is known about the developmental processes underlying their origin and evolution. We combined hormonal manipulation, gene expression, and phylogenetic analyses with field observations to understand how novel worker subcastes evolve. We uncovered an ancestral developmental potential to produce a "supersoldier" subcaste that has been actualized at least two times independently in the hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole. This potential has been retained and can be environmentally induced throughout the genus. Therefore, the retention and induction of this potential have facilitated the parallel evolution of supersoldiers through a process known as genetic accommodation. The recurrent induction of ancestral developmental potential may facilitate the adaptive and parallel evolution of phenotypes.
AB - Complex worker caste systems have contributed to the evolutionary success of advanced ant societies; however, little is known about the developmental processes underlying their origin and evolution. We combined hormonal manipulation, gene expression, and phylogenetic analyses with field observations to understand how novel worker subcastes evolve. We uncovered an ancestral developmental potential to produce a "supersoldier" subcaste that has been actualized at least two times independently in the hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole. This potential has been retained and can be environmentally induced throughout the genus. Therefore, the retention and induction of this potential have facilitated the parallel evolution of supersoldiers through a process known as genetic accommodation. The recurrent induction of ancestral developmental potential may facilitate the adaptive and parallel evolution of phenotypes.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1211451
DO - 10.1126/science.1211451
M3 - Article
C2 - 22223805
AN - SCOPUS:84855515046
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 335
SP - 79
EP - 82
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6064
ER -