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Brood care and social evolution in termites.

Judith Korb1, Michael Buschmann, Saskia Schafberg

  • 1Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse11, 49076 Osnabrueck, Germany. judith.korb@biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de

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Brood care is not the primary driver of early termite social evolution. Instead, defense benefits likely played a larger role, unlike in other social insects and vertebrates.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Insect social behavior
  • Comparative genomics

Background:

  • Cooperative brood care is widely considered the main driver of sociality in insects and vertebrates.
  • The role of brood care in the evolution of termite eusociality remains poorly understood.
  • Understanding ancestral conditions is crucial for tracing the evolution of social behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the ancestral level of brood care behavior in lower termites.
  • To investigate the relationship between lifestyle (wood-dwelling vs. foraging) and brood care.
  • To compare the drivers of social evolution in termites versus other social taxa.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of four lower termite species representing diverse families.
  • Quantification of brood care behavior across the selected species.
  • Comparative analysis integrating existing data from higher termites.

Main Results:

  • Brood care levels were low in wood-dwelling lower termite species.
  • Higher brood care was observed in a lower termite species with an evolved foraging lifestyle.
  • Brood care appears to increase in importance with the transition to a foraging lifestyle in termites.

Conclusions:

  • Early termite social evolution was likely driven by enhanced defense, not brood care.
  • Brood care became more significant in termites with a foraging lifestyle.
  • This contrasts with Hymenoptera, birds, and mammals, where brood care is a primary driver of sociality.