Abstract
BackgroundHigh recombination rates have previously been detected in two groups of eusocial insects; honeybees and ants. In this study we estimate recombination rate in a eusocial wasp Vespula vulgaris that represents a third phylogenetic lineage within eusocial hymenopterans.ResultsA genetic linkage map of V. vulgaris based on 210 markers shows that the total map length is 2129 cM and the recombination rate is 9.7 cM/Mb (or 103 kb/cM). The present estimate in V. vulgaris is somewhat smaller than in the honeybee Apis mellifera and intermediate between the estimates from two ant species (Acromyrmex echinatior, Pogonomyrmex rugosus). Altogether, the estimates from these eusocial species are higher than in any other insect reported so far.ConlusionsThe four species (V. vulgaris, A. mellifera, A. echinatior, P. rugosus) are characterized by advanced eusociality with large colonies, clear queen-worker dimorphism and well developed task specialization. They also have colonies with a single, normally multiply inseminated (polyandrous) queen. Benefits of genotypic diversity within colonies (e.g. through improved task specialization or pathogen and parasite resistance) may have selected for both polyandry and high recombination rate in such advanced eusocial insects.
Highlights
High recombination rates have previously been detected in two groups of eusocial insects; honeybees and ants
Genetic relatedness, the probability of sharing genes that are identical by descent (IBD), between interacting individuals is a central variable in the genetic models of social evolution [1]
Sherman suggested that the evolution of insect sociality should benefit from a high recombination rate [3]
Summary
High recombination rates have previously been detected in two groups of eusocial insects; honeybees and ants. The segregation of alleles among the gametes produced by a diploid individual is a stochastic process and the relatedness at a specific locus is a variable with a predicted mean and variance [2]. The variance at a single locus depends on the segregation, and the variance among loci depends on the amount of recombination. Based on these principles, Sherman suggested that the evolution of insect sociality should benefit from a high recombination rate [3]. Sherman suggested that the evolution of insect sociality should benefit from a high recombination rate [3] His argument was that recombination reduces the variance of relatedness and makes it more difficult for nepotistic recognition alleles to invade the
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