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

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Inclusive Fitness00:57

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A morphological innovation, the fan of the water strider Rhagovelia, enables its conquest of turbulent streams.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

EMBO Press co-evolves with molecular ecology and evolutionary biology.

The EMBO journal·2026
Same author

Opposing insulin signals underlie the same developmental switch across hemipteran insects.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Rethinking the personal statement in the AI era.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same author

Odd-skipped family members have conserved roles in segmentation, appendage, excretory system and gut development in bilaterian animals.

Differentiation; research in biological diversity·2025
Same author

Embryogenesis in Myrmicine Ants Combines Features of Short Germ-Band Development With a Progressive Mode of Segmentation.

Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution·2025
Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave".

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Local signals, systemic decline.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

The mechanics of liver regeneration.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Computing in a memory with physics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Retraction.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Making time.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
06:44

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Ancestral developmental potential facilitates parallel evolution in ants.

Rajendhran Rajakumar1, Diego San Mauro, Michiel B Dijkstra

  • 1Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Complex ant societies evolved unique worker subcastes. Ancestral developmental potential, retained and environmentally induced, explains the parallel evolution of "supersoldier" ants via genetic accommodation.

More Related Videos

Embryo Injections for CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis in the Ant Harpegnathos saltator
08:30

Embryo Injections for CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis in the Ant Harpegnathos saltator

Published on: February 9, 2021

Ablation of a Single Cell From Eight-cell Embryos of the Amphipod Crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis
10:55

Ablation of a Single Cell From Eight-cell Embryos of the Amphipod Crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis

Published on: March 16, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
06:44

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Embryo Injections for CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis in the Ant Harpegnathos saltator
08:30

Embryo Injections for CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis in the Ant Harpegnathos saltator

Published on: February 9, 2021

Ablation of a Single Cell From Eight-cell Embryos of the Amphipod Crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis
10:55

Ablation of a Single Cell From Eight-cell Embryos of the Amphipod Crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis

Published on: March 16, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Advanced ant societies exhibit complex worker caste systems, crucial for their evolutionary success.
  • The developmental origins and evolution of specialized worker subcastes remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental mechanisms behind the evolution of novel worker subcastes in ants.
  • To understand how ancestral developmental potentials are retained and reactivated.

Main Methods:

  • Hormonal manipulation experiments in ants.
  • Gene expression analysis to identify molecular pathways.
  • Phylogenetic analyses to trace evolutionary history.
  • Field observations of ant behavior and ecology.

Main Results:

  • Identified an ancestral developmental potential for a "supersoldier" subcaste in the genus *Pheidole*.
  • This potential has evolved independently at least twice within the genus.
  • The potential is retained across species and can be environmentally induced.

Conclusions:

  • The retention and environmental induction of ancestral developmental potential facilitate parallel evolution.
  • Genetic accommodation is a key process in the evolution of specialized ant subcastes.
  • Recurrent induction of ancestral potentials can drive adaptive phenotypic evolution.