CRC TRR 212 - C04: Proximate and ultimate mechanisms of social niche choice and construction during colony founding in the ant Pogonomyrmex californicus

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Description

Social organisms interact constantly with other individuals and try to shape their social niche according to their fitness interest using different strategies like cooperation, selfishness, altruism or spiteful behaviour. Newly mated ant queens of Pogonomyrmex californicus can found their colonies either alone or in groups. Surprisingly, these founding associations stay together and unrelated queens and workers cooperate for the rest of the colony life, which is a major transition from kin based groups to non-kin based groups. We study the genetic and epigenetic architecture and evolution of social niche construction in the context of colony founding and the evolution of non-kin based social groups.