Collaborative Research: The Population Genetics of Plant- Fungal Interactions

小行星9222148 生殖合作和冲突是社会性进化的核心。 在昆虫和脊椎动物中，群居繁殖是一种导致复杂社会系统的途径，在这种繁殖中，成年动物共享一个巢穴或配偶，并可能为无关的年轻人提供照顾。 但即使在社会性昆虫和鸟类中，非亲属之间的兼性生殖合作也很少见。 要了解替代生殖策略的起源，在那里，个人可以独立或集体繁殖，这是至关重要的，以确定每个人的选择，并评估每个替代方案的相对成功。 %%% 雄性和雌性绒毛尼氏管蚜（鞘翅目： Silphidae）展示了兼性的公共育雏照顾。 一只以上的雄性和/或雌性可能会帮助抚养可能不相关的年轻人。 这项研究的目的是检查自然种群中群体繁殖的频率，并使用DNA指纹技术识别这些后代的亲子关系。 %%% 本研究将探讨为什么生殖优势个体允许集体繁殖，以及如何实现这一点。 关于社会性的进化，特别是关于群体繁殖的进化，人们提出了几种假说，并得到了相当广泛的应用。 这些已经在共同繁殖的脊椎动物和具有联合巢穴基础的社会昆虫中进行了测试。 他们可以而且应该在其他群体中进行测试。 这项研究具有实用价值，因为许多致力于社会生活方式的物种的生存取决于个人的生存和社会组织的福祉。

9222148 Scott Reproductive cooperation and conflict lie at the heart of the evolution of sociality. Communal breeding in which adults share a nest or mate and may provide care for unrelated young, has been identified as one path leading to complex social systems in both insects and vertebrates. But even in social insects and birds, facultative reproductive cooperation among non-relatives is rare. To understand the origins of alternative reproductive strategies, where individuals can breed either independently or communally, it is essential to identify the options open to each individual and assess the relative success of each alternative. %%% Both male and female Nicrophorus tomentosus (Coleoptera: Silphidae) demonstrate facultative communal brood care. More than one male and/or female may help to rear young that may not be related. The aims of this research are to examine the frequency of communal breeding in a natural population and to identify the parentage of these offspring using a DNA fingerprinting technique. %%% This study will examine why the reproductively dominant individuals allow communal breeding and how this might be achieved. Several hypotheses for the evolution of sociality and of communal breeding in particular, have been constructed with considerable general application. These have been tested in communally-breeding vertebrates and in social insects with joint nest foundation. They can and should be tested in other groups. %%% The study is of practical value because the survival of the many species committed to a Social way of life is dependent on survival of individuals and the well-being of their social organizations.***