Evolution: social selection for eccentricity.
The dress code of paper wasps, like that of humans, is related to their social habits: species with a flexible nest-founding strategy have highly variable black-and-yellow markings. This color polymorphism facilitates individual recognition and might have been selected to permit complex social interactions.
Chapuisat
Michel
M
Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biology Building, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012919:Social Behavior; D014863:Wasps / Q000502:physiology*