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Genetic structures of huge ant colonies, with reference to mechanism for maintaining the polyethism in eusocial insects

Research Project

Project/Area Number 13640623
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 生態
Research InstitutionHOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

HIGASHI Seigo  Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, 大学院・地球環境科学研究科, 教授 (90133777)

Project Period (FY) 2001 – 2002
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
Budget Amount *help
¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
Keywordssupercolony / genetic viscosity / relatednes / molecular phylogeny / army ant / weaver ant / 放浪性 / 個体群比較 / 昆虫分散 / 巨大コロニー / マイクロサテライトDNA / チトクロームb遺伝子
Research Abstract

I made research on such ant species as Formica yessensis, Oecophylla smaragdina and three army ants which have supercolonies or huge colonies. In a supercolony of F.yessensis on Ishikari Coast, northern Japan, the relatedness was measured using four microsatellite DNA primers. The within-nest relatedness was from 0.248 to 0.484 while the between-nest relatedness was from 0.148 to 0.343. The between-nest relatedness was not correlated with between-nest distance, suggesting the absence of genetic viscosity which had been considered as the ultimate mechanism for maintaining the supercolonies.
I collected Oecophylla smaragdina colonies from 30 local populations in South-East Asia, New Guinea and Australia and analyzed the phylogeny using mitochondrial cyt b gene. The Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the first divergence occurred In early stage of their history in which the Asian, Australian and Sulawesian groups rose. This grouping was almost coincident with the distribution of land-mass In glacial periods In Pleistocene. Thereafter, each group seemed to have Independently diverged into present populations on each landmass.
I also studied the phenology and morphology of the ponerine nomadic ant Onychomyrmex hedleyi which belongs to the primitive ponerine ant tribe Amblyoponini and has been considered to be important for evolutionary studies of army ant behavior. Their behavior was different from that of higher army ants as follows : the colony size seems the smallest of all army ants ; the direction of colony migration is irregular, consisting of long-distance migration and short-distance migration.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2002 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2001 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (9 results)

All Other

All Publications (9 results)

  • [Publications] Azuma, N., Kikuchi, T., Ogata, K., Higashi S: "Molecular phylogeny among local populations of Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina"Zoological Science. 19. 1321-1328 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Miyata, H., Shimamura, T., Hirosawa, H., Higashi, S.: "Morphology and phenology of the primitive ponerine army ant Onychomyrmex hedleyi (Hymenoptera : Formicidae: Ponerinae) In a highland rainforest of Australia"Journal of Natural History. 37. 115-125 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kikuchi, T., Higashi, S.: "Task allocation and alate production in monogynous, polygynous and orphan colonies of Myrmica kotokui"Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 13. 151-159 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Azuma, N., Kikuchi, T., Ogata, K., Higashi, S.: "Molecular phylogeny among local populations of Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina"Zoological Science. 19. 1321-1328 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Miyata, H., Shimamura, T., Hirosawa, H., Higashi, S.: "Morphology ad phenology of the primitive ponerine army ant Onychomyrmex hedleyi (Hymenoptera : Formicidae : Ponerinae) In a highland rainforest of Australia"Journal of Natural History. 37. 115-125 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kikuchi, T., Higashi, S.: "Task allocation and alate production In monogynous, polygynous and orphan colonies of Myrmica kotokui"Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 13. 151-159 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Azuma, N., Kikuchi, T., Ogata, K., Higashi, S.: "Molecular phylogeny among local populations of Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina"Zoological Science. 19. 1321-1328 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Miyata, H., Shimamura, T., Hirosawa, H., Higashi, S.: "Morphology and phenology of the primitive ponerine army ant Onychomyrmex hedleyi (Hymenontera Formicidae Poerinae) In Ahighland rainforest of Australia"Journal of Natural History. 37. 115-125 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 東典子, 菊地友則, 緒方一夫, 東正剛: "Molecular phylogeny among local populations of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina"Zoological Science. (in press).

    • Related Report
      2001 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2001-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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