Genomic Signature of Kin Selection in an Ant with Obligately Sterile Workers
Date
2017
Authors
Warner, Michael R.
Mikheyev, Alexander
Linksvayer, Timothy A.
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Volume Title
Publisher
Society for Molecular Biology Evolution
Abstract
Kin selection is thought to drive the evolution of cooperation and conflict, but the specific genes and genome-wide patterns shaped by kin selection are unknown. We identified thousands of genes associated with the sterile ant worker caste, the archetype of an altruistic phenotype shaped by kin selection, and then used population and comparative genomic approaches to study patterns of molecular evolution at these genes. Consistent with population genetic theoretical predictions, worker-upregulated genes experienced reduced selection compared with genes upregulated in reproductive castes. Worker-upregulated genes included more taxonomically restricted genes, indicating that the worker caste has recruited more novel genes, yet these genes also experienced reduced selection. Our study identifies a putative genomic signature of kin selection and helps to integrate emerging sociogenomic data with longstanding social evolution theory.
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Keywords
kin selection, social evolution, reproductive caste
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Source
Molecular Biology and Evolution
Type
Journal article
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Access Statement
Open Access
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Creative Commons Attribution License
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