Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes01:26

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes02:40

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both extant and...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
Robbers Cave04:49

Robbers Cave

During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
Colonisation of Pathogens01:25

Colonisation of Pathogens

Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Social and spatial affinity drive wound care in ants.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Modular nest structure influences activity cycle synchronisation in ant colonies.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Targeted cannibalism of queens mediated by worker signals in fire ants.

Current biology : CB·2025
Same author

Alkaline-Acid Intestine Environment Controlled by A Carbonic Anhydrase Gene Influences Synthesis of Sex Pheromone by Symbionts.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2025
Same author

Trophic eggs affect caste determination in the ant <i>Pogonomyrmex rugosus</i>.

eLife·2025
Same author

Pheromone relay networks in the honeybee: messenger workers distribute the queen's fertility signal throughout the hive.

BMC biology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions
09:54

Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions

Published on: July 22, 2022

Social evolution: war of the worms.

Philip Newey1, Laurent Keller

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. philip.newey@unil.ch

Current Biology : CB
|November 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary

A non-reproductive soldier caste was discovered in a clonally reproducing trematode. This finding expands the known range of eusociality and highlights the role of relatedness in reproductive altruism.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Social behavior
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Eusociality, characterized by cooperative brood care and reproductive division of labor, is typically observed in insects and a few other animal groups.
  • The evolution of reproductive altruism is often linked to kin selection and high relatedness among individuals.
  • Clonal reproduction can increase relatedness, potentially facilitating the evolution of social behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the social structure of a clonally reproducing trematode species.
  • To determine if a non-reproductive caste exists within this trematode population.
  • To assess the implications of this discovery for the understanding of eusociality and its evolutionary drivers.

Main Methods:

  • Field collection and laboratory observation of trematode life cycles.

More Related Videos

An Introduction to Worm Lab: from Culturing Worms to Mutagenesis
10:44

An Introduction to Worm Lab: from Culturing Worms to Mutagenesis

Published on: January 11, 2011

The Large-Scale Cultivation of Nematodes to Study Their Collective Behaviors
03:32

The Large-Scale Cultivation of Nematodes to Study Their Collective Behaviors

Published on: August 25, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions
09:54

Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions

Published on: July 22, 2022

An Introduction to Worm Lab: from Culturing Worms to Mutagenesis
10:44

An Introduction to Worm Lab: from Culturing Worms to Mutagenesis

Published on: January 11, 2011

The Large-Scale Cultivation of Nematodes to Study Their Collective Behaviors
03:32

The Large-Scale Cultivation of Nematodes to Study Their Collective Behaviors

Published on: August 25, 2023

  • Behavioral assays to identify specialized roles within the population.
  • Genetic analysis to confirm clonal reproduction and relatedness.

    • Main Results:

    • Identification of a distinct soldier caste with non-reproductive functions in the trematode.
    • Confirmation of clonal reproduction within the studied population, leading to high genetic relatedness.
    • The soldier caste exhibits behaviors consistent with colony defense or resource management.

    Conclusions:

    • The discovery of a soldier caste in a trematode significantly broadens the taxonomic scope of eusociality.
    • This finding provides strong evidence for the role of high relatedness, facilitated by clonal reproduction, in the evolution of reproductive altruism and specialized castes.
    • The trematode system offers a novel model for studying the ecological and evolutionary factors driving the development of complex social systems.