Iterative evolution of supergene-based social polymorphism in ants.

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_CEA98CE6175C
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Review (review): journal as complete as possible of one specific subject, written based on exhaustive analyses from published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Iterative evolution of supergene-based social polymorphism in ants.
Journal
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Author(s)
Kay T., Helleu Q., Keller L.
ISSN
1471-2970 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0962-8436
Publication state
Published
Issued date
08/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
377
Number
1856
Pages
20210196
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Species commonly exhibit alternative morphs, with individual fate being determined during development by either genetic factors, environmental cues or a combination thereof. Ants offer an interesting case study because many species are polymorphic in their social structure. Some colonies contain one queen while others contain many queens. This variation in queen number is generally associated with a suite of phenotypic and life-history traits, including mode of colony founding, queen lifespan, queen-worker dimorphism and colony size. The basis of this social polymorphism has been studied in five ant lineages, and remarkably social morph seems to be determined by a supergene in all cases. These 'social supergenes' tend to be large, having formed through serial inversions, and to comprise hundreds of linked genes. They have persisted over long evolutionary timescales, in multiple lineages following speciation events, and have spread between closely related species via introgression. Their evolutionary dynamics are unusually complex, combining recessive lethality, spatially variable selection, selfish genetic elements and non-random mating. Here, we synthesize the five cases of supergene-based social polymorphism in ants, highlighting interesting commonalities, idiosyncrasies and implications for the evolution of polymorphisms in general. This article is part of the theme issue 'Genomic architecture of supergenes: causes and evolutionary consequences'.
Keywords
Animals, Ants/genetics, Polymorphism, Genetic, Reproduction/genetics, Social Behavior, ants, polymorphism, social organization, supergene
Pubmed
Create date
21/06/2022 12:28
Last modification date
04/11/2022 6:37
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