Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Larva
Larva
Nurse
Nurse
Adult
Ovary
Figure 8.4.
Illustration of the ef ects of the larval and nurse modules on the
resultant ovary-size phenotype. h e let box shows the combination of the
low-strain larval development module and nurse bee modules that were selected
together during the pollen-hoarding selection program. h e genes that were
selected and responsible for the larval and nurse modules constitute a social
genotype. h e right box shows the high strain. High- and low-strain bees were
cross- fostered. h e resulting phenotypes are shown at the bottom. On the let are
the ovary phenotypes of high- and low-strain workers that were raised by
low-strain nurses; on the right, those of workers raised by high-strain nurses.
h e nurse modules interact with the larval development modules such that
high-strain larvae raised by low-strain nurses end up with more ovarioles than
those raised by nurses from their own colonies.
hunger signal, and the nurses correspondingly may become more or
less sensitive to it. One can think of the nurse bee feeding program and
responses to larval feeding signals and cues as the “nurse bee develop-
mental module.” h ese modules interact to produce a worker (or queen)
phenotype. One can think of the combination of genes af ecting the
coevolved larval and nurse bee developmental modules as a social gen-
otype (Figure 8.4).
