Convergent evolution of social hybridogenesis in Messor harvester ants.

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Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_F4D292B92ED9
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Convergent evolution of social hybridogenesis in Messor harvester ants.
Journal
Molecular Ecology
Author(s)
Romiguier J., Fournier A., Yek S.H., Keller L.
ISSN
1365-294X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0962-1083
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2017
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
26
Number
4
Pages
1108-1117
Language
english
Abstract
Sexual reproduction generally requires no more than two partners. Here, we show convergent evolution of social hybridogenesis, a reproductive system requiring three reproductive partners in harvester ants. In this unorthodox reproductive system, two distinct genetic lineages live in sympatry and queens have to mate with males of their own lineage to produce queens along with males of the alternative lineage to produce workers. Using a large transcriptomic data set of nine species, we show that social hybridogenesis evolved at least three times independently in the genus Messor. Moreover, a study of 13 populations of Messor barbarus revealed that this mode of reproduction is fixed in the whole range of this ecologically dominant species. Finally, we show that workers can produce males carrying genes of the two genetic lineages, raising the possibility of rare gene flow between lineages contributing to the long-term maintenance of pairs of interdependent lineages. These results emphasize the evolutionary importance of social hybridogenesis, a major transition possibly linked to the peculiar ecology of harvester ants.

Keywords
behavior/social evolution, bioinformatics/phylogenomics, evolution of sex, genomics/proteomics
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
30/11/2016 21:35
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:21
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