| 研究実績の概要 |
This research project aims to infer the evolutionary process of collective building in termites through a comparative analysis of nest construction across various species worldwide.
Until last year, I focused on (i) compiling literature information to build a comprehensive dataset for termite evolution and (ii) behavioral observations of Japanese termites, due to travel restrictions. This year, I finally managed field sampling in Australia. The outcome is summarized as follows.
First, I obtained the videos and time-lapse images for tunneling behavior in Mastotermes darwiniensis, Porotermes adamsoni, and Stolotermes victoriensis. These three species are in ecologically and phylogenetically critical positions in termite diversity. Combining the data obtained from Japanese species, I could comprehend most termite lineages. The results are under analysis.
Second, I had a couple of publications relating to the project. For example, the paper reporting the development of TManual (see last year’s report) has been published (Mizumoto, 2023, Ecol Evol). Also, a paper studying inference behaviors from fossil records has been published (Mizumoto et al., 2024, PNAS), contributing to the understanding of the evolution of collective behavior.
Third, we added data from> 20 species in Malaysia and Australia to examine how the evolution of nesting biology can result in the differentiated movement capacity of termites, including two more independent evolutionary events of nesting strategies.
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