Radiation in termites: the importance of recognition cues

白蚁的辐射：识别线索的重要性

• 批准号: 27032204
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Roland Brandl
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Lehrstuhl für Tierphysiologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Priority Programmes
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2005-12-31 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/27032204?language=en
• 关键词: Radiation; termites; importance; recognition; cues

Although termites are one of the keystone species in tropical ecosystems, their biogeography, diversity and radiation are poorly understood. In contrast to their morphological uniformity, termites use a complex array of chemical substances to interact with nestmates and conspecifics, as well as other species, Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) play a key role in species and nestmate recognition. CHC show considerable variations within, as well as between, species. Hence differentiations in cuticular hydrocarbons may lead to reproductive isolation between populations and ultimately to speciation. We use the genus Macrotermes as well as the species Schedorhinotermes lamanianus (East Africa) as model systems to investigate the role of CHC during speciation and radiation of termites. We explore the possible role of CHC in these processes using a combination of a phylogenetically based analysis of CHC variation across species and populations taking into account the constraints by biosynthetic pathways, and the experimental analysis of the influence of CHC on the behaviour.

尽管白蚁是热带生态系统的关键物种之一，但人们对它们的生物地理学、多样性和辐射知之甚少。与形态的一致性相反，白蚁使用一系列复杂的化学物质与巢友和同种以及其他物种相互作用，角质层碳氢化合物（CHC）在物种和巢友识别中发挥着关键作用。 CHC 在物种内部和物种之间表现出相当大的差异。因此，表皮碳氢化合物的差异可能导致种群之间的生殖隔离，并最终导致物种形成。我们使用大白蚁属以及 Schedorhinotermes lamanianus（东非）物种作为模型系统来研究 CHC 在白蚁物种形成和辐射过程中的作用。我们结合基于系统发育的 CHC 跨物种和种群变异分析（考虑生物合成途径的限制）以及 CHC 对行为影响的实验分析，探讨了 CHC 在这些过程中的可能作用。