Solving Darwin's dilemma: Molecular analysis of worker sterility in social insects

达尔文最大的谜题之一是自然选择如何导致群居昆虫的工蚁不育。我们现在从数学模型中了解到，导致工蚁不育的基因如果增加了蜂王的繁殖成功率，就可能处于选择性优势。该项目将从蜜蜂身上提取唯一已知的导致不孕不育的基因--无政府状态，并确定该基因是如何进化的。我们将确定无政府状态是导致所有群居昆虫不育的同一基因，还是只在蜜蜂中。该项目将站在国际研究的前沿，为达尔文最大的两难境地提供分子视角。

One of Darwin's greatest puzzles was how natural selection resulted in worker sterility in social insects. We now know from mathematical modelling that a gene that causes sterility in workers can be at a selective advantage if it increases the reproductive success of queens. This project will take the only known gene that causes sterility, 'Anarchy' from honey bees, and determine how this gene evolved. We will determine if Anarchy is the same gene that causes sterility in all social insects, or only in honey bees. The project will be at the forefront of international research by providing a molecular perspective to Darwin's greatest dilemma.