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    Journal Article EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION IN BEES AND ITS ROLE IN SPECIATION Get access Warwick E. Kerr Warwick E. Kerr Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Rio Claro Rio Claro Est. S. Paulo Brazil Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Evolution, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1 September 1960, Pages 386–387, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1960.tb03100.x Published: 01 September 1960
    Genetic algorithm
    Ecological speciation
    Incipient speciation
    Citations (0)
    The comparative structure of bacterial communities among closely related host species remains relatively unexplored. For instance, as speciation events progress from incipient to complete stages, does divergence in the composition of the species' microbial communities parallel the divergence of host nuclear genes? To address this question, we used the recently diverged species of the parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia to test whether the evolutionary relationships of their bacterial microbiotas recapitulate the Nasonia phylogenetic history. We also assessed microbial diversity in Nasonia at different stages of development to determine the role that host age plays in microbiota structure. The results indicate that all three species of Nasonia share simple larval microbiotas dominated by the γ-proteobacteria class; however, bacterial species diversity increases as Nasonia develop into pupae and adults. Finally, under identical environmental conditions, the relationships of the microbial communities reflect the phylogeny of the Nasonia host species at multiple developmental stages, which suggests that the structure of an animal's microbial community is closely allied with divergence of host genes. These findings highlight the importance of host evolutionary relationships on microbiota composition and have broad implications for future studies of microbial symbiosis and animal speciation.
    Nasonia vitripennis
    Abstract Parasitoid wasps are among the most speciose animals, yet have relatively few available genomic resources. We report a draft genome assembly of the wasp Diachasma alloeum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a host-specific parasitoid of the apple maggot fly Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) and a developing model for understanding how ecological speciation can “cascade” across trophic levels. Identification of gene content confirmed the overall quality of the draft genome, and we manually annotated ∼400 genes as part of this study, including those involved in oxidative phosphorylation, chemosensation, and reproduction. Through comparisons to model hymenopterans such as the European honeybee Apis mellifera and parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis , as well as a more closely related braconid parasitoid Microplitis demolitor , we identified a proliferation of transposable elements in the genome, an expansion of chemosensory genes in D. alloeum and other parasitoid wasps, and the maintenance of several key genes with known roles in sexual reproduction and sex determination. The D. alloeum genome will provide a valuable resource for comparative genomics studies in Hymenoptera as well as specific investigations into the genomic changes associated with ecological speciation and transitions to asexuality.
    Parasitoid wasp
    Citations (3)
    Ecological speciation
    Genetic algorithm
    Reproductive isolation
    Parapatric speciation
    Incipient speciation
    Citations (18)
    Population genomics
    Natural population growth
    Citations (1)