1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Kin structure of colony in polydoumous termites and ants
| Project/Area Number |
07454211
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
生態
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUMOTO Tadao The Univ.of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Professor, 大学院・総合文化研究科, 教授 (90106609)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1997
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| Keywords | Nastitermes / DNA fingerprint / Formica japonica / polygynous / kin relationship / Hodotermopsis japonica / kin structure |
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| Research Abstract |
Field surveys on Nasutitermes takasagoensis in Iriomote and Ishigaki Isl. were carried out during the three years. DNA fingerprint method was applied on the investigation of genetic polymorphism of the colonies. Increasing of relatedness between the nearest colonies were revealed. In the case of Formica japonica, queen number, mating frequency and nest kin structure of the ant were studied in the field and thelaboratory. Nest excavation in the study site, the east slope of Mt.Fuji Gotenba, Japan, revealed that F.japonica is weakly polygynous all year round and the queen number increases after the nuptial filght season, suggestinq the adoption of newly mated queens by established nests. Dissection and laboratory rearing demonstrated that nearly all queens in polygynous nests had mated and were fertile with mature oocytes in their ovaries. Multilocus DNA finqerprinting was used to examine kin relationships among ants found in the same nests. The fingerprint band patterns were apparently governed by a simple genetic rule and suggested monoandry (single mating per queeen) . The mean band sharing score of DNA fingerprints among full sisters was 0.90, and the mean value between queens and their daughters was 0.75. Comparison of DNA fingerprints of adult and pupal workers with pupal gynes suggested that multiple queens in a nest may contibute unequally to gyne (new queen) production. Hodotermopsis Japonica was also investigated on kin structure of the colonies in Yakushima Isl.
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