Queen Succession Through Asexual Reproduction in Termites
Queen Succession Through Asexual Reproduction in Termites
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1169702
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发表时间：
2009-03-27
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Tsuji, Kazuki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Matsuura, Kenji;Vargo, Edward L.;Tsuji, Kazuki
有性生殖的进化和维持可能涉及重要的权衡，因为无性生殖可以使个体对基因库的贡献增加一倍，但减少了多样性。此外，在社会性昆虫中，工蜂之间遗传多样性的维持对于群体的生长和生存可能是重要的。我们确定了一个以前未知的白蚁繁殖系统，其中单性生殖和有性生殖有条件地使用。蚁后无性繁殖它们的替代品，但使用正常的有性生殖来产生其他群体成员。这些发现显示了真正的社会性如何导致非凡的生殖系统，并为性的利弊提供了重要的见解。
The evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction may involve important tradeoffs because asexual reproduction can double an individual's contribution to the gene pool but reduces diversity. Moreover, in social insects the maintenance of genetic diversity among workers may be important for colony growth and survival. We identified a previously unknown termite breeding system in which both parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction are conditionally used. Queens produce their replacements asexually but use normal sexual reproduction to produce other colony members. These findings show how eusociality can lead to extraordinary reproductive systems and provide important insights into the advantages and disadvantages of sex.