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A linear dominance hierarchy among clones in chimeras of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum
Author(s) -
Fortunato A.,
Queller D. C.,
Strassmann J. E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00545.x
Subject(s) - biology , dictyostelium discoideum , spore , biological dispersal , mycetozoa , propagule , amoeba (genus) , social evolution , stalk , botany , plant evolution , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene , population , genome , demography , sociology , horticulture
Amoebae from different clones of Dictyostelium discoideum aggregate into a common slug, which migrates towards light for dispersal, then forms a fruiting body consisting of a somatic, dead stalk, holding up a head of living spores. Contributions of two clones in a chimera to spore and stalk are often unequal, with one clone taking advantage of the other's stalk contribution. To determine whether there was a hierarchy of exploitation among clones, we competed all possible pairs among seven clones and measured their relative representation in the prespore and prestalk stages and in the final spore stage. We found a clear linear hierarchy at the final spore stage, but not at earlier stages. These results suggest that there is either a single principal mechanism or additive effects for differential contribution to the spore, and that it involves more than spore/stalk competition.