Colony Fitness In Harvester Ants

科尔，布莱恩IBN-9507470 摘要 社会性昆虫生殖分配的经验和理论研究的一个关键假设是大小差异不影响生殖成功。 然而，如果男性在他们的交配的概率不同，或者如果女性在他们的概率不同，建立一个殖民地作为身体大小的函数，那么最佳投资不能预测没有知识的大小如何影响繁殖成功。 拟议研究的目的是通过确定个体大小与其繁殖成功率之间的关系来验证上述假设。 此外，将量化菌落内和菌落间雄性和雌性动物的大小和数量变化，以评价菌落是否最大限度地提高了繁殖成功率。 最后，将研究食物供应和投资模式之间的关系，以评估殖民地之间的不稳定程度。 这个项目应该有助于填补我们在社会昆虫的生殖投资模式的知识空白。

Cole, Blaine IBN-9507470 Abstract A critical assumption of empirical and theoretical studies of reproductive allocation in social insects is that size variation does not affect reproductive success. However, if males vary in their probability of mating or if females vary in their probability of founding a colony as a function of body size, then the optimal investment cannot be predicted without knowledge of how size affects reproductive success. The objective of the proposed research is to test the above stated assumption by determining the relationship between the size of an individual and its reproductive success. In addition, the variation in the size and number of males and females within and among colonies will be quantified to evaluate whether colonies have maximized their reproductive success. Finally, the relationship between the availability of food and the pattern of investment will be examined in order to assess the degree of lability among colonies. This project should help to fill a gap in our knowledge concerning patterns of reproductive investment in social insects.