Systematics, Phylogeny, and Biogeography of Amblyoponini: A Putative Early Lineage of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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DEB 9981667FisherCalifornia Academy of SciencesThis project will enhance the understanding of the diversity and evolution of the Amblyoponini, a putative primitive lineage, and potentially a sister group of all other extant ants. Analysis of this group is critical to efforts to understand the origin and evolution of ants and their social behavior, an understanding seriously impeded by a lack of robust knowledge about themost primitive groups. In this project, the investigators will complete a species-level taxonomic revision based on comparative morphological studies of world Amblyoponini. As part of this process, morphological and molecular data will be compated to infer the phylogenetic relationships among major ant clades. The resulting phylogeny will be used to trace the evolution of important traits that are involved in colony founding, foraging behavior, communication and social structure. In addition, these phylogenies will be used to investigat eht historical biogeongraphy of these ants with respect to their prolific radiation in Madagascar.