Publications by authors named "B Feldmeyer"
Social insects form complex societies with division of labour between different female castes. In most species, a single queen heads the colony; in others, several queens share the task of reproduction. These different social organisations are often associated with distinct queen morphologies and life-history strategies and occur in different environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenome sequencing quality, in terms of both read length and accuracy, is constantly improving. By combining long-read sequencing technologies with various scaffolding techniques, chromosome-level genome assemblies are now achievable at an affordable price for non-model organisms. Insects represent an exciting taxon for studying the genomic underpinnings of evolutionary innovations, due to ancient origins, immense species-richness, and broad phenotypic diversity.
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- A co-evolutionary arms race occurs between the social parasite Temnothorax americanus and its host, the ant species Temnothorax longispinosus, leading to adaptations and counter-adaptations based on varying parasite prevalence and climatic conditions.
- Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS), researchers identified numerous candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), particularly in genes related to sensory perception, linked to parasite prevalence and climate factors.
- The study also found correlations between population-specific cuticular hydrocarbons, important for signaling and protection, and the environmental context, highlighting the complexity of genomic patterns influenced by both parasitic interactions and ecological factors.
Social insects are models for studies of phenotypic plasticity. Ant queens and workers vary in fecundity and lifespan, which are enhanced and extended in queens. Yet, the regulatory mechanisms underlying this variation are not well understood.
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