Gene flow is maintained by polyandry and male dispersal in the army ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eciton burchellii</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Rodolfo Jaffé Robin F A Moritz F Bernhard Kraus |
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Institution: | 1. Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany;2. Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
Departamento Entomología Tropical, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Carr. Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5., C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico |
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Abstract: | The combination of haplodiploidy, complementary sex determination and eusociality constrains the effective population size
(N
e) of social Hymenoptera far more than in any other insect group. Additional limitations on N
e occur in army ants since they have wingless queens and colony fission, both of which are factors causing restricted maternal
gene flow and high population viscosity. Therefore, winged army ant males gain a particular significance to ensure dispersal,
facilitate gene flow and avoid inbreeding. Based on population genetic analyses with microsatellite markers, we studied a
population of the Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii, finding a high level of heterozygosity, weak population differentiation and no evidence for inbreeding. Moreover, by using
sibship reconstruction analyses, we quantified the actual number of male contributing colonies represented in a queen’s mate
sample, demonstrating that, through extreme multiple mating, the queens are able to sample the genes of males from up to ten
different colonies, usually located within an approximate radius of 1 km. We finally correlated the individual mating success
of each male contributing colony with the relative siring success of individual males and found a significant colony-dependent
male fitness component. Our results imply that the dispersal and mating system of these army ants seem to enhance gene flow
and minimise the deleterious effects associated with small effective population size.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
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Keywords: | Dependent colony foundation Eciton Multiple mating Nuptial flights Sibship reconstruction analysis Social insects |
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