Abstract
The genomes of two bumblebee species characterized by a lower level of sociality than ants and honeybees provide new insights into the origin and evolution of insect societies.
Highlights
Bumblebees enter the genomic era In 1995, John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry classified the transition from solitary to social life as one of the major transitions in evolution, along with the transitions from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, and from asexual to sexual reproduction [1]
Since the publication of the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera in 2006, the genomes of two other honeybee and nine ant species have been sequenced. These valuable genomic resources provided insights into several key features of eusocial Hymenoptera, including the developmental processes leading to queen and worker caste differentiation, division of labor, chemical communication and immunity [3]
The comparison of the honeybee and bumblebee genomes The honeybees and bumblebees belong to the Apidae, a group of insects that are important pollinators and possess a similar diet
Summary
Bumblebees enter the genomic era In 1995, John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry classified the transition from solitary to social life as one of the major transitions in evolution, along with the transitions from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, and from asexual to sexual reproduction [1]. These valuable genomic resources provided insights into several key features of eusocial Hymenoptera, including the developmental processes leading to queen and worker caste differentiation, division of labor, chemical communication and immunity [3]. Because honeybees and ants show advanced eusociality, it has so far not been possible to investigate the molecular changes associated with the early stages of the evolution of social life.
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