Evolution of Major Geographic Variation in Social Structure of a Desert Ant

群体生活本身就代价高昂，但从黏菌到昆虫再到灵长类动物，都可以看到社会合作。合作的一个重要好处可能是群体免受特别恶劣环境的影响。西南沙漠的一种收获种子的蚂蚁为研究群体形成、合作和冲突的生物基础提供了一个特殊的机会。这种分布广泛的物种，横跨莫哈韦沙漠和索诺兰沙漠，在其分布范围内表现出无与伦比的行为差异：在一个地区，蚁后不容忍其他地区的蚁后，在另一个地区，蚁后组成群体，但后来会战斗到死，而在第三个地区，蚁后在整个群体的生活中都保持合作。将进行实地调查和实验室实验，以确定日益严酷的沙漠环境是否会促进更大的社会合作，以及蚁后如何发展适合当地条件的行为。合作与冲突在很大程度上塑造了我们的世界，本研究将探索生态学在这些重要互动的发展中所起的作用。这项研究还将为研究生和本科生提供培训机会，包括那些来自传统上代表性不足的群体的学生。此外，研究结果将在死亡谷国家公园通过外联活动向公众介绍。

Living in groups is inherently costly, yet social cooperation is seen from slime molds to insects to primates. One important benefit of cooperation may be group protection from particularly harsh environments. A seed-harvesting ant of the desert southwest presents an exceptional opportunity to study the biological bases of group formation, cooperation and conflict. This wide-ranging species, spanning both the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, shows unparalleled behavioral variation across its range: in one region queens are intolerant of others, in a second they form groups but later fight to the death, while in a third they remain cooperative throughout the life of the colony. Field surveys and laboratory experiments will be conducted to determine whether increasing harshness of their desert environment promotes greater social cooperation, and how queens develop behaviors appropriate for local conditions.Cooperation and conflict largely shape our world, and this study will explore the role that ecology plays in the development of these important interactions. The research will also provide training opportunities for graduate as well as undergraduate biology students, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups. In addition, the results of the study will be presented to the general public through outreach activities at Death Valley National Park.