Open AccessGenetic analysis of colony structure in polydomous and polygynous ant populations
Author(s) -
PEDERSEN JES S.,
BOOMSMA JACOBUS J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1999.tb01919.x
Subject(s) - biology , polygyny , nest (protein structural motif) , evolutionary biology , population , ant , identification (biology) , genotype , ecology , genetics , gene , demography , biochemistry , sociology
Most interactions between individuals of social insects occur in colonies. The correct identification of colonies is therefore crucial for most empirical studies which aim to test evolutionary theories based on properties at the colony level. In many ant populations, the identification of colonics is hampered by polydomy, i.e. that single colonics occupy several, spatially separated nests. Only few attempts have been made so far to develop genetical methods for analysing the structure of specific colonics. Three methods to solve this problem are presented: rare genotype sisterhoods (tracking rare genotypes or alleles), G ‐distance (a measure of genotypic heterogeneity derived from G ‐statistics), and neighbour relatcdness (estimates of genetic relatcdness for specific nest pairs). Our methods quantify the likelihood of nest pairs being con‐colonial or non‐colonial, and given sufficient genetical resolution, statistical tests can be applied. The methods proposed here arc applied to a highly polygynous population of the red ant, Myrmica sulcinodis. In this population single colonics are found to inhabit 1–4 nests, and both monodomous and polydomous colonies coexist in dense clusters of nests. This result is discussed with respect to the functional significance of polydomy. Further, the general application of the methods for determination of colony structure is discussed.