Evolution of Major Geographic Variation in Social Structure of a Desert Ant

群居生活本身就很昂贵，但从粘菌到昆虫再到灵长类动物，社会合作都随处可见。合作的一个重要好处可能是群体保护免受特别恶劣环境的伤害。西南部沙漠中的一只采种蚂蚁为研究群体形成、合作和冲突的生物学基础提供了一个难得的机会。这种分布广泛的物种横跨莫哈韦和索诺兰沙漠，在整个范围内显示出无与伦比的行为差异：在一个地区，蜂王对其他物种不宽容，在另一个地区，它们结成群体，但后来战斗到死，而在第三个地区，它们在整个殖民地的一生中保持合作。将进行实地调查和实验室实验，以确定日益严酷的沙漠环境是否促进了更大的社会合作，以及女王如何发展适合当地条件的行为。合作和冲突在很大程度上塑造了我们的世界，这项研究将探索生态在这些重要互动发展中所起的作用。这项研究还将为生物学研究生和本科生提供培训机会，包括那些来自传统上代表性不足的群体的学生。此外，研究结果将通过在死亡谷国家公园的外联活动向公众展示。

Living in groups is inherently costly, yet social cooperation is seen from slime molds to insects to primates. One important benefit of cooperation may be group protection from particularly harsh environments. A seed-harvesting ant of the desert southwest presents an exceptional opportunity to study the biological bases of group formation, cooperation and conflict. This wide-ranging species, spanning both the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, shows unparalleled behavioral variation across its range: in one region queens are intolerant of others, in a second they form groups but later fight to the death, while in a third they remain cooperative throughout the life of the colony. Field surveys and laboratory experiments will be conducted to determine whether increasing harshness of their desert environment promotes greater social cooperation, and how queens develop behaviors appropriate for local conditions.Cooperation and conflict largely shape our world, and this study will explore the role that ecology plays in the development of these important interactions. The research will also provide training opportunities for graduate as well as undergraduate biology students, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups. In addition, the results of the study will be presented to the general public through outreach activities at Death Valley National Park.