Convergent Evolution Associated with the Loss of Developmental Diapause May Promote Extended Lifespan in Bees.

ABSTRACT: Diapause has long been proposed to play a significant role in the evolution of eusociality in Hymenoptera. Recent studies have shown that shifts in the diapause stage precede social evolution in wasps and bees; however, the genomic basis remains unknown. Given the overlap in molecular pathways that regulate diapause and lifespan, we hypothesized that the evolutionary loss of developmental diapause may lead to extended lifespan among adults, which is a prerequisite for the evolution of eusociality. To test whether the loss of prepupal diapause is followed by genomic changes associated with lifespan extension, we compared 27 bee genomes with or without prepupal diapause. Our results point to several potential mechanisms for lifespan extension in species lacking prepupal diapause, including t

SUBMITTER: Santos PKF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11632380 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature