The relationship between multiple mating by queens, within-colony genetic variability and fitness in the ant Lasius niger

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Title
The relationship between multiple mating by queens, within-colony genetic variability and fitness in the ant Lasius niger
Journal
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Author(s)
Fjerdingstad  E. J., Gertsch  P. J., Keller  L.
ISSN
1010-061X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
09/2003
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
16
Number
5
Pages
844-53
Notes
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't --- Old month value: Sep
Abstract
Multiple mating has been suggested to benefit social insect queens because high genetic variation within colonies might decrease the load imposed by sterile diploid males, enhance resistance to parasites and pathogens, and lead to a more effective division of labour and/or a wider range of tolerable environmental conditions. We tested these hypotheses in the ant Lasius niger with three population samples from Switzerland and Sweden. We found no diploid males in young or mature colonies suggesting a lack of diploid male load. Colonies with multiply-mated queens were not larger nor did they produce more sexuals than colonies with singly-mated queens. We did find a significantly lower frequency of multiple mating among newly mated queens than among the queens heading mature colonies in one population sample (Switzerland 1997). However, this result was not repeated in the other study population, or in the following year in the Swiss population.
Keywords
Animals *Ants/genetics/physiology Environment *Evolution Female Male Ploidies *Sexual Behavior, Animal *Social Behavior
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
24/01/2008 18:39
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:00
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