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Only full-sibling families evolved eusociality

Author

Listed:
  • Jacobus J. Boomsma

    (Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen)

  • Madeleine Beekman

    (Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney)

  • Charlie K. Cornwallis

    (University of Oxford)

  • Ashleigh S. Griffin

    (University of Oxford)

  • Luke Holman

    (Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen)

  • William O. H. Hughes

    (Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Miall Building, University of Leeds)

  • Laurent Keller

    (Biophore, University of Lausanne)

  • Benjamin P. Oldroyd

    (Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney)

  • Francis L. W. Ratnieks

    (Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer)

Abstract

Arising from M. A. Nowak, C. E. Tarnita & E. O. Wilson Nature 466, 1057–1062 (2010)10.1038/nature09205 ; Nowak et al. reply The paper by Nowak et al.1 has the evolution of eusociality as its title, but it is mostly about something else. It argues against inclusive fitness theory and offers an alternative modelling approach that is claimed to be more fundamental and general, but which, we believe, has no practical biological meaning for the evolution of eusociality. Nowak et al.1 overlook the robust empirical observation that eusociality has only arisen in clades where mothers are associated with their full-sibling offspring; that is, in families where the average relatedness of offspring to siblings is as high as to their own offspring, independent of population structure or ploidy. We believe that this omission makes the paper largely irrelevant for understanding the evolution of eusociality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacobus J. Boomsma & Madeleine Beekman & Charlie K. Cornwallis & Ashleigh S. Griffin & Luke Holman & William O. H. Hughes & Laurent Keller & Benjamin P. Oldroyd & Francis L. W. Ratnieks, 2011. "Only full-sibling families evolved eusociality," Nature, Nature, vol. 471(7339), pages 4-5, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:471:y:2011:i:7339:d:10.1038_nature09832
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09832
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