U.S.- Germany Cooperative Research: International: Dynamics and Consequences of an Ant Hybrid Zone

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0129319FewellThis award supports Jennifer Fewell and graduate and undergraduate students from Arizona State University in a collaboration with Juergen Gadau of Institute for Behavioral Physiology at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany. The aim of the international project is to examine the extent and consequences of hybridization between two native seed-harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The German and U.S. groups will test the hypothesis that hybridization in that system does not universally produce reduced hybrid fitness, as expected by current models. They will also test the hypothesis that colonies respond to hybridization by preferentially using sperm belonging to different species. They will use morphological, molecular, and behavioral techniques to determine the extent of introgression between species and to measure fitness components of hybridized and parental colonies. In addition, they will perform controlled mating experiments to determine the effect of hybridization on caste determaination. The work plan provides for extensive participation by graduate students in the international travel and research.