Ancestral developmental potential facilitates parallel evolution in ants.
Complex worker caste systems have contributed to the evolutionary success of advanced ant societies; however, little is known about the developmental processes underlying their origin and evolution. We combined hormonal manipulation, gene expression, and phylogenetic analyses with field observations to understand how novel worker subcastes evolve. We uncovered an ancestral developmental potential to produce a "supersoldier" subcaste that has been actualized at least two times independently in the hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole. This potential has been retained and can be environmentally induced throughout the genus. Therefore, the retention and induction of this potential have facilitated the parallel evolution of supersoldiers through a process known as genetic accommodation. The recurrent induction of ancestral developmental potential may facilitate the adaptive and parallel evolution of phenotypes.
Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.
Rajendhran
R
Rajakumar
Diego
D
San Mauro
Michiel B
MB
Dijkstra
Ming H
MH
Huang
Diana E
DE
Wheeler
Francois
F
Hiou-Tim
Abderrahman
A
Khila
Michael
M
Cournoyea
Ehab
E
Abouheif
D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D008726:Methoprene / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012919:Social Behavior; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000254:growth & development
D008726:Methoprene