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Naturwissenschaften

Title:		Kin composition effects on reproductive competition among queenless honeybee workers
Author(s):		Inbar S; Katzav-Gozansky T; Hefetz A;
Address:		"Department of Zoology, George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel. shaniinbar@gmail.com"
Journal Title:		Naturwissenschaften
Year:		2008
Volume:		20080209
Issue:		5
Page Number:		427 - 432
DOI:		10.1007/s00114-008-0343-6
ISSN/ISBN:		0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Kin selection and inclusive fitness theories predict that, in hopeless queenless (QL) groups, competition or cooperation will occur over male production among workers of different patrilines. Competition is expected to involve mutual inhibition of reproduction and to affect fertility advertisement. To examine kin effect on these phenomena, we studied QL groups of honeybee workers comprising three types of kin structure: groups composed of pure single patrilines, groups composed of three mixed patrilines (all originating from colonies headed by single-drone-inseminated queens), and control groups composed of bees originating from naturally mated queens. Global assessment of ovarian development, irrespective of patriline composition, revealed no differences among group types. In contrast, the performance of specific patrilines revealed that, in the three-mixed-patriline groups, some patrilines were reproductively suppressed compared to their performance when reared as a pure single patriline, resulting in an uneven share of reproduction. Analysis of the fertility signal produced by Dufour's gland revealed kin composition effects, which may reflect the bees' competitive efforts. Although patriline effects on worker reproductive superiority have been shown in QL colonies, we were able to investigate specific patriline performance both in competitive and noncompetitive situations here for the first time. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that reproductive and pheromonal competitions in QL groups are affected by the number of subfamilies populating a colony and that these act as coalitions. The results also emphasize that within-colony heterogeneity, in the form of multiple patrilines, has far-reaching consequences on social evolution"
Keywords:		"Animals Bees/*physiology Female Male Pheromones/*physiology Reproduction Sexual Behavior, Animal Social Behavior;"
Notes:		"MedlineInbar, Shani Katzav-Gozansky, Tamar Hefetz, Abraham eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2008/02/12 Naturwissenschaften. 2008 May; 95(5):427-32. doi: 10.1007/s00114-008-0343-6. Epub 2008 Feb 9"