ROW: Hierarchical Selection in Insect Societies

ROW：昆虫社会的等级选择

• 批准号: 8808659
• 负责人: Joan Herbers
• 金额: $ 5.39万
• 依托单位: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1988
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1988-08-15 至 1990-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8808659&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ROW; Hierarchical; Selection; Insect; Societies

An insect society, such as an ant colony, represents a critical test case for general theories of evolution, as Darwin himself recognized. Ant workers are sterile, and in general their sole means of reproduction resides with their mother queen. A fairly common yet unstudied characteristic of ants is that a colony can split up into several discrete nesting units, a process called polydomy. When this happens, workers in colony subunits without the queen are released from her influence, and can proceed to behave in ways to maximize their own fitness. Thus studying polydomy, the process of colony fractionation, is important to a full understanding of social evolution. Polydomy is best studied by applying hierarchical selection models. In these formulations, evolution proceeds on several levels: the entire colony; different nesting units that comprise the colony; and individual workers and queens within those nesting units represent levels in the selection hierarchy. Dr. Herbers will study the process of colony fractionation among primitive ant species in Australia, where polydomy is just now beginning to evolve. A combination of field studies, laboratory aggression assays between members of different nests, and biochemical analysis will allow her to determine when and how often colonies split up. Furthermore, measuring the fitness of all individuals within nests will provide insight into the nature of selection at each level in the hierarchy. This is a proposal for a Career Advancement Award under the aegis of the Research Opportunities for Women. It is likely to result in a significant enhancement of the scientific field as well as Dr. Herbers' own career.

一个昆虫社会，比如一个蚁群， 对一般进化论的一个重要的测试案例，如达尔文 自己承认。 蚂蚁工蚁是不育的，一般来说 它们唯一的繁殖方式是依靠它们的母王。 蚂蚁的一个相当普遍但尚未研究的特征是， 蚁群可以分裂成几个离散的筑巢单位， 这个过程叫做多房性。 当这种情况发生时， 没有女王的亚单位从她的影响中释放出来， 可以继续以最大限度地提高自己健康的方式行事。 因此，研究多居群，即菌落分离的过程， 这对全面理解社会进化至关重要。 多居 最好的研究方法是应用层次选择模型。 在 这些公式，演变过程中的几个层次： 包括殖民地的不同的筑巢单位; 在这些筑巢单位中的工蚁和蚁后 表示选择层次结构中的级别。 赫伯斯医生会 研究了原始蚂蚁群体分化的过程 澳大利亚的物种，那里的多居制刚刚开始， 进化 结合实地研究实验室攻击 不同巢穴成员之间的分析，以及生物化学 分析将使她能够确定何时以及多久一次 分头行动 此外，测量所有个体的适应性 在巢内将提供洞察选择的性质， 每一个层次的层次。 这是一个职业发展奖的建议，根据 支持妇女研究机会。 很可能 导致科学领域的显着增强， 以及赫伯斯医生自己的事业