title: Dissecting ant recognition systems in the age of genomics.
abstract: Hamilton is probably best known for his seminal work demonstrating the role of kin selection in social evolution. His work made it clear that, for individuals to direct their altruistic behaviours towards appropriate recipients (kin), mechanisms must exist for kin recognition. In the social insects, colonies are typically comprised of kin, and colony recognition cues are used as proxies for kinship cues. Recent years have brought rapid advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that are used for this process. Here, I review some of the most notable advances, particularly the contributions from recent ant genome sequences and molecular biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, , Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA.
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D023281:Genomics; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D010641:Phenotype; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000235:genetics*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012724:Sex Attractants
keywords: Formicidae; chemosensory receptors; cuticular hydrocarbons; genomics