Publication at Faculty of Science |
2010
Abstract
Sociality is often accompanied by specific changes of genome organization, which could lead to the downsizing of genetic variability among sibs. In this review, we discuss the significance of haplodiploidy in Hymeno¬ptera and complex sex-linked heterozygosity in some Isoptera for the evolution of social behaviour.
Special attention is given to social spiders, where sex-linked heterozygosity arose in the huntsman spider Delena cancerides. Cytogenetic approaches have revealed cryptic speciation events in social spiders of the genus Stegodyphus, where rapid reductions of 2n seem to be linked with the evolution of sociality.