IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v4y2013i1d10.1038_ncomms3048.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sex ratio biases in termites provide evidence for kin selection

Author

Listed:
  • Kazuya Kobayashi

    (Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)

  • Eisuke Hasegawa

    (Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University)

  • Yuuka Yamamoto

    (Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)

  • Kazutaka Kawatsu

    (Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)

  • Edward L. Vargo

    (North Carolina State University)

  • Jin Yoshimura

    (Shizuoka University
    Marine Biosystems Research Center, Chiba University
    State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)

  • Kenji Matsuura

    (Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)

Abstract

Inclusive fitness theory, also known as kin selection theory, is the most general expansion of Darwin's natural selection theory. It is supported by female-biased investment by workers in the social Hymenoptera where relatedness to sisters is higher than to brothers because of haplodiploidy. However, a strong test of the theory has proven difficult in diploid social insects because they lack such relatedness asymmetry. Here we show that kin selection can result in sex ratio bias in eusocial diploids. Our model predicts that allocation will be biased towards the sex that contributes more of its genes to the next generation when sex-asymmetric inbreeding occurs. The prediction matches well with the empirical sex allocation of Reticulitermes termites where the colony king can be replaced by a queen’s son. Our findings open broad new avenues to test inclusive fitness theory beyond the well-studied eusocial Hymenoptera.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazuya Kobayashi & Eisuke Hasegawa & Yuuka Yamamoto & Kazutaka Kawatsu & Edward L. Vargo & Jin Yoshimura & Kenji Matsuura, 2013. "Sex ratio biases in termites provide evidence for kin selection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3048
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3048
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms3048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3048. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.