Queen-worker ratio affects reproductive skew in a socially polymorphic ant.

ABSTRACT: The partitioning of reproduction among individuals in communally breeding animals varies greatly among species, from the monopolization of reproduction (high reproductive skew) to similar contribution to the offspring in others (low skew). Reproductive skew models explain how relatedness or ecological constraints affect the magnitude of reproductive skew. They typically assume that individuals are capable of flexibly reacting to social and environmental changes. Most models predict a decrease of skew when benefits of staying in the group are reduced. In the ant Leptothorax acervorum, queens in colonies from marginal habitats form dominance hierarchies and only the top-ranking queen lays eggs ("functional monogyny"). In contrast, queens in colonies from extended coniferous forests throughou

SUBMITTER: Walter B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4813118 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature