Enforced altruism in insect societies

Tom Wenseleers () and Francis L. W. Ratnieks
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Tom Wenseleers: Institute for Advanced Study
Francis L. W. Ratnieks: Institute for Advanced Study

Nature, 2006, vol. 444, issue 7115, 50-50

Abstract: What about the workers? In many ant, bee and wasp species the workers have normal ovaries but do not reproduce. Is this voluntary altruism? Or perhaps a little persuasion is involved. A study of nine Vespidae wasps and the honeybee provides clear evidence that social coercion is the key. The workers forego reproduction in response to the threat that their eggs will be killed, or 'policed', by nestmates.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/444050a

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