Social trematodes: What factors determine the caste ratio in their colonies?

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25840160
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Miura Osamu 高知大学, 教育研究部総合科学系複合領域科学部門, 准教授 (60610962)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 社会性 / 二生吸虫 / カースト比率

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Social trematodes effectively maintain their colonies by reproductive division of labor between reproductive and soldier individuals. I conducted a series of ecological analyses to evaluate which ecological factors determine the caste ratio in their colonies. I found that the caste ratio of trematodes was fairly constant irrespective of the strength of competitive pressure against other trematodes, demonstrating that competitive pressure is not the factor which affects the caste ratio. I suggest that density of colony members and/or amount of nutrients available for a colony are other potential candidates determining the caste ratio in trematode sociality.

Free Research Field

進化生態学