Mating for Variety: Activity and Fitness in Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants

为了多样化而交配：Pogonomyrmex Harvester的活动和健康这项研究将检验遗传变异提高效率并导致社会群体中更高表现的假设。该研究将使用种子收获蚁Pogonomyrmex occidentalis作为模型系统。该物种的社会群体（群体）之间的遗传变异是由蚁后的交配行为产生的，蚁后可能与少至2只或多至11只雄性交配，产生的群体在群体成员（工蜂）之间的遗传变异差异很大。这种变化与蚁群寻找食物的时间有关。具有高水平遗传变异的群体能够花更多的时间寻找食物。该研究将确定1)可用于收集食物的时间是否与群体获得的食物数量或食物质量相对应；2)菌落间遗传变异的差异如何导致活动持续时间的差异；3)遗传变异的差异是否会导致群体间生存和繁殖的差异。这项研究将开始回答有关遗传变异在决定社会有机体效率中的作用的基本问题。

Mating for Variety: Activity and fitness in Pogonomyrmex Harvester AntsPI: Blaine Cole and Diane Wiernasz This research will test the hypothesis that genetic variation increases efficiency and leads to higher performance within social groups. The study will use the seed harvesting ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis as a model system. Genetic variability among social groups (colonies) in this species is generated by the mating behavior of queens, which may mate with as few as two or as many as eleven males, producing colonies that differ considerably in the genetic variation among colony members (workers). This variation is correlated with the amount of time that colonies have to search for food. Colonies with high levels of genetic variation are able to spend more time searching for food. The research will determine 1) whether the amount of time available for collecting food corresponds to the amount of food or the quality of food that the colony acquires; 2) how differences in genetic variation among colonies lead to differences in the duration of activity; and 3) whether differences in genetic variability result in differences in survival and reproduction among colonies. This study will begin to answer fundamental questions about the role of genetic variation in determining efficiency in a social organism.