中生代白蚁真社会性的早期演化与古生态

白蚁是一类重要的经济昆虫，真社会性的特质造就了它们的生态优势。然而我们对白蚁真社会性起源的了解仍很有限。区别于过去对白蚁真社会性起源的认识大多是基于现生白蚁的理论模型，本项目在我们前期研究进展的基础上，进一步从自然历史的角度深入地研究白蚁化石所反映的行为生态学信息。首先对中生代地层的白蚁化石进行必要的分类学和系统学研究，补充我们对白蚁基干类群物种多样性的认识，重建白蚁早期系统发育关系。进而对中生代白蚁社会性相关的特殊保存状态和功能形态结构进行全面的分析（尤其是工蚁/伪工蚁、兵蚁），讨论其真社会性起源与演化。通过探索化石中共埋藏的白蚁伴生动植物及遗迹，研究白蚁的原始生境及群落结构。本项目为真社会性演化的自然历史提供事实依据，对恢复古生态具有重要意义。

Termites are important economic insects with eusociality which lay the foundation for their ecological dominance. However, we know limited about the origin of termite eusociality. Different with the most previous studies preferred theoretical model that based on extant termites, in this project, from the perspective of natural history, we will further delve the behavioural ecology of fossil termites. This project will firstly find out the diversity of basal termites and reconstruct the early evolution of termites by using taxonomic and systematic method. And then clarify the origin and early evolution of termite eusociality by analyzing the specific states of preservation and the functional morphologies of fossil termites (especially termite workers/pseudergates and soldiers). Furthermore, the primitive habitat and community structure of the Mesozoic termites will be also investigated based on the co-embedded associated organism and trace fossil. This project which will provide concrete evidences of the evolution of eusociality, are with significant for reconstructing the paleoecology of the Mesozoic termites.