Partner choice correlates with fine scale kin structuring in the paper wasp Polistes dominula.

ABSTRACT: Cooperation among kin is common in animal societies. Kin groups may form by individuals directly discriminating relatives based on kin recognition cues, or form passively through natal philopatry and limited dispersal. We describe the genetic landscape for a primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes dominula, and ask whether individuals choose cooperative partners that are nearby and/or that are genetic relatives. Firstly, we genotyped an entire sub-population of 1361 wasps and found genetic structuring on an extremely fine scale: the probability of finding genetic relatives decreases exponentially within just a few meters of an individual's nest. At the same time, however, we found a lack of genetic structuring between natural nest aggregations within the population. Secondly, in a separate dat

SUBMITTER: Parsons PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6715180 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature