Ants with social supergenes

Scientists have discovered that the gene responsible for the social organisation of colonies of the fire ant is likely to have evolved via a single event. Red fire ants can have colonies with a single queen while other colonies contain dozens of queens. There is a supergene version responsible for colonies with a single queen, and a variant responsible for colonies with multiple queens. They suggest that a single event was responsible for the origin determining social organisation and that a large number of unfavourable mutations in the colonies with multiple queens. The advantages of having several queens in the colony outweigh the costs of the unfavourable mutations in the supergene. Scientists are looking to develop a pesticide that disrupts the social organisation in this species targeting the genes in the supergene region.  

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Bilesky

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-ants-with-social-supergenes-1.10197764

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