2024/10/21 by Camille Roux, Alice Ha, Arthur Weyna +2 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Animal Behavior and Reproduction
paper · doi:10.24072/pcjournal.476
openalex publication_date 2024/10/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
In eusocial species, reproduction is monopolized by a few reproductive individuals.From the perspective of population genetics, this implies that the effective population size ( Ne ) of these organisms is likely to be smaller compared to solitary species, as has been proposed in the literature for eusocial hymenoptera. In this study, we investigate the genomic consequences of eusociality in termites (Isoptera) on two different timescales. First, by analyzing transcriptome data from 66 Blattodea species, we focus on the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations d N / d S as a marker of natural selection efficiency and effective population size. Our results demonstrate an elevated d N / d S ratio in termites compared to other members of Blattodea, further generalizing the idea that convergent evolution toward eusociality strongly reduces the effective population size and the genome-wide efficiency of natural selection. Then, by comparing 68 termite transcriptomes, we show that this decrease in natural selection efficiency is even more pronounced in termites displaying high levels of social complexity. This study contributes to understanding the complex interplay between social structures and natural selection patterns, highlighting the genetic footprint of eusociality in shaping the evolution of termites.