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Selfish genes: a green beard in the red fire ant

Author

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  • Laurent Keller

    (Institute of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Lausanne, Bâtiment de Biologie)

  • Kenneth G. Ross

    (University of Georgia)

Abstract

A ‘green-beard’ gene is defined as a gene that causes a phenotypic effect (such as the presence of a green beard or any other conspicuous feature), allows the bearer of this feature to recognize it in other individuals, and causes the bearer to behave differently towards other individuals depending on whether or not they possess the feature1,2,3. Such genes have been proposed on theoretical grounds to be agents mediating both altruism and intragenomic conflicts1,2, but until now few, if any, of these genes have been identified4,5. Here we provide evidence of a green-beard gene in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In polygyne (multiple-queen) colonies, all egg-laying queens are Bb heterozygotes at the locus Gp-9 (ref. 6). Previous studies suggested that bb females die prematurely from intrinsic causes6; we now show that BB queens initiating reproduction are killed by workers, and that it is primarily Bb rather than BB workers that are responsible for these executions. This implies that allele Gp-9b is linked to a green-beard allele that preferentially induces workers bearing the allele to kill all queens that do not bear it. Workers appear to distinguish BB from Bb queens on the basis of a transferable odour cue.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurent Keller & Kenneth G. Ross, 1998. "Selfish genes: a green beard in the red fire ant," Nature, Nature, vol. 394(6693), pages 573-575, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:394:y:1998:i:6693:d:10.1038_29064
    DOI: 10.1038/29064
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    Cited by:

    1. Friedrich, Thomas, 2023. "A positive net profit strategy and a pure substrate transfer strategy are both necessary for an ensemble to succeed in the presence of a fixed cost," MPRA Paper 117108, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. İlker Yıldırım & Pınar Yolum, 2009. "Hybrid models for achieving and maintaining cooperative symbiotic groups," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 8(2), pages 243-258, December.
    3. Aaron Foote & Maryam Gooyabadi & Nikhil Addleman, 2023. "Factors in Learning Dynamics Influencing Relative Strengths of Strategies in Poker Simulation," Games, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Ishii, Ryosuke, 2012. "Observable Actions," ビジネス創造センターディスカッション・ペーパー (Discussion papers of the Center for Business Creation) 10252/4776, Otaru University of Commerce.
    5. Zhang, Hong & Ye, Hang, 2016. "Role of perception cost in tag-mediated cooperation," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 279(C), pages 76-89.
    6. Hadzibeganovic, Tarik & Stauffer, Dietrich & Han, Xiao-Pu, 2018. "Interplay between cooperation-enhancing mechanisms in evolutionary games with tag-mediated interactions," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 496(C), pages 676-690.
    7. Zhang, Hong, 2023. "Evolution of cooperation with tag-based expulsion in spatial public goods game," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

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