Comparative Genomics, Molecular Evolution, and the Evolution of Bee Societies

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A major challenge in biology is to understand how animal societies have evolved. Bees are especially interesting because different species display the full range of sociality that exists in nature, from solitary to communal to highly social, in which individuals ("workers") care for siblings rather than reproduce themselves. Molecular tools are just becoming available that permit a new approach to questions about sociality. This proposal builds on the availability of one gigabyte of genome sequence for 10 solitary and social bees, which the PI is obtaining at no cost to NSF in conjunction with a special award from Roche Inc. Genes will be identified that have changed during the evolution of insect societies; these might be prime movers in social evolution. Genes also will be used to test a prominent theory hypothesizing that worker behavior evolved from maternal care.This project charts a new avenue of study on the evolution of societies. It will contribute to the development of genomic resources for important species, an NSF strategic goal that will have benefits across all of biology. It will also provide training to graduate students and undergraduates in an approach that integrates evolutionary biology, behavior, molecular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics.