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Eusociality: origin and consequences.

Edward O Wilson1, Bert Hölldobler

  • 1Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2902, USA. ewilson@oeb.harvard.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 15, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Group selection, not kin selection, drives the evolution of eusociality. Once workers are differentiated, social insects reach a point of no return, explaining their ecological dominance.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Sociobiology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • The standard model of social evolution emphasizes kin selection.
  • The role of group selection and individual selection in eusocial evolution requires re-evaluation.
  • Understanding the evolutionary pressures leading to eusociality is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an alternative model for eusocial evolution based on empirical evidence.
  • To reassess the relative importance of group, individual, and kin selection.
  • To investigate the factors contributing to the rarity and ecological dominance of eusocial insects.

Main Methods:

  • Empirical evidence assessment.
  • Theoretical modeling of selection forces.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative analysis of social and solitary insect evolution.

    • Main Results:

    • Group selection acts as a strong binding force, while individual selection is a strong dissolutive force in eusocial evolution.
    • Kin selection's role is context-dependent, potentially weak or even dissolutive.
    • Close kinship may be a consequence, not a cause, of eusociality.
    • An irreversible stage of eusociality is reached with worker anatomical differentiation.
    • Eusociality's rarity is attributed to insufficient environmental pressures favoring group selection.

    Conclusions:

    • Eusociality's evolution is primarily driven by group selection overcoming individual selection.
    • The irreversible nature of advanced eusociality in ants and termites underpins their ecological success.
    • Altruism and pheromonal communication are key to the superiority of eusocial colonies.