J Evol Biol. 2008 Nov;21(6):1597-608. Epub 2008 Sep 1.

Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants.

Source

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Biological Records Centre, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. toliver@ceh.ac.uk

Abstract

Ants are a diverse and abundant insect group that form mutualistic associations with a number of different organisms from fungi to insects and plants. Here, we use a phylogenetic approach to identify ecological factors that explain macroevolutionary trends in the mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing Homoptera. We also consider association between ant-Homoptera, ant-fungi and ant-plant mutualisms. Homoptera-tending ants are more likely to be forest dwelling, polygynous, ecologically dominant and arboreal nesting with large colonies of 10(4)-10(5) individuals. Mutualistic ants (including those that garden fungi and inhabit ant-plants) are found in under half of the formicid subfamilies. At the genus level, however, we find a negative association between ant-Homoptera and ant-fungi mutualisms, whereas there is a positive association between ant-Homoptera and ant-plant mutualisms. We suggest that species can only specialize in multiple mutualisms simultaneously when there is no trade-off in requirements from the different partners and no redundancy of rewards.

PMID:: 18764883; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Grant Support

Publication Types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH Terms

Grant Support

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Molds - MedlinePlus Health Information

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Review The origin of the attine ant-fungus mutualism. [Q Rev Biol. 2001]
Review The origin of the attine ant-fungus mutualism.
Mueller UG, Schultz TR, Currie CR, Adams RM, Malloch D. Q Rev Biol. 2001 Jun; 76(2):169-97.
Population genetic signatures of diffuse co-evolution between leaf-cutting ants and their cultivar fungi. [Mol Ecol. 2007]
Population genetic signatures of diffuse co-evolution between leaf-cutting ants and their cultivar fungi.
Mikheyev AS, Mueller UG, Boomsma JJ. Mol Ecol. 2007 Jan; 16(1):209-16.
Quantitative synthesis of context dependency in ant-plant protection mutualisms. [Ecology. 2009]
Quantitative synthesis of context dependency in ant-plant protection mutualisms.
Chamberlain SA, Holland JN. Ecology. 2009 Sep; 90(9):2384-92.
Ant-plants and fungi: a new threeway symbiosis. [New Phytol. 2009]
Ant-plants and fungi: a new threeway symbiosis.
Defossez E, Selosse MA, Dubois MP, Mondolot L, Faccio A, Djieto-Lordon C, McKey D, Blatrix R. New Phytol. 2009 Jun; 182(4):942-9.
Review Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects. [Proc Biol Sci. 2007]
Review Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects.
Styrsky JD, Eubanks MD. Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Jan 22; 274(1607):151-64.

See reviews... See all...

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants.
Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants.
J Evol Biol. 2008 Nov ;21(6):1597-608. Epub 2008 Sep 1 .

PubMed
Metagenomic and stable isotopic analyses of modern freshwater microbialites in C...
Metagenomic and stable isotopic analyses of modern freshwater microbialites in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico.
Environ Microbiol. 2009 Jan ;11(1):16-34. Epub 2008 Sep 1 .

PubMed
Intranasal transmission of hepatitis C virus: virological and clinical evidence.
Intranasal transmission of hepatitis C virus: virological and clinical evidence.
Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Oct 1 ;47(7):931-4.

PubMed
Adipocyte differentiation in human embryonic stem cells transduced with Oct4 shR...
Adipocyte differentiation in human embryonic stem cells transduced with Oct4 shRNA lentivirus.
Stem Cells Dev. 2009 May ;18(4):653-60.

PubMed
Role of interference between localized and propagating surface waves on the extr...
Role of interference between localized and propagating surface waves on the extraordinary optical transmission through a subwavelength-aperture array.
Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Aug 22 ;101(8):087401. Epub 2008 Aug 20 .

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to: