scholarly journals The plasticity of lifespan in social insects

2021 ◽  
Vol 376 (1823) ◽  
pp. 20190734
Author(s):  
Jürgen Heinze ◽  
Julia Giehr

One of the central questions of ageing research is why lifespans of organisms differ so tremendously among related taxa and, even more surprising, among members of the same species. Social insects provide a particularly pronounced example for this. Here, we review previously published information on lifespan plasticity in social insects and provide new data on worker lifespan in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior , which because of its relatively short lifespan is a convenient model to study ageing. We show that individual lifespan may vary within species with several reproductive and social traits, such as egg-laying rate, queen number, task, colony size and colony composition. For example, in Cardiocondyla , highly fecund queens live longer than reproductively less active queens, and workers tend to live longer when transferred into a novel social environment or, as we show with new data, into small colonies. We hypothesize that this plasticity of lifespan serves to maximize the reproductive output of the colony as a whole and thus the inclusive fitness of all individuals. The underlying mechanisms that link the social environment or reproductive status with lifespan are currently unresolved. Several studies in honeybees and ants indicate an involvement of nutrient-sensing pathways, but the details appear to differ among species. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

2009 ◽  
Vol 276 (1662) ◽  
pp. 1593-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibaud Monnin ◽  
Alessandro Cini ◽  
Vincent Lecat ◽  
Pierre Fédérici ◽  
Claudie Doums

Social insect societies are outstanding examples of cooperation and conflict. Individuals work together, yet seek to increase their inclusive fitness at each others' expense. One such conflict is over colony inheritance, when a queen inherits the colony following the death of the previous queen. Colony inheritance is common in the social wasp Polistes dominulus , and it can have dramatic fitness consequences. The subordinate inheriting the colony is often unrelated to the initial foundress (alpha) and the workers, who therefore get zero inclusive fitness. Workers are capable of mating and reproducing, so that inheritance by a subordinate rather than by a related worker is surprising. Using patterns of egg-laying and egg destruction, we show in 32 laboratory colonies that, upon the removal of alpha, workers fully accepted a subordinate as the new breeder. This new alpha monopolized reproduction to the same extent as alpha, and there was no increase in reproduction by workers and other subordinates. Why workers accept a potentially unrelated subordinate as breeder rather than a full-sister worker is unclear. They may be constrained to do so, and they may seek fitness benefits by producing males later in the season or by absconding the nest.


1983 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-135
Author(s):  
Louise Cherry Wilkinson

1991 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-147
Author(s):  
Mollie B. Condra

Author(s):  
Muchimah MH

Government Regulation No. 9 of 1975 related to the implementation of marriage was made to support and maximize the implementation of Law No. 1 of 1974 which had not yet proceeded properly. This paper examines Government Regulations related to the implementation of marriage from the perspective of sociology and anthropology of Islamic law. Although the rules already exist, some people still carry out marriages without being registered. This is anthropologically the same as releasing the protection provided by the government to its people for the sake of a rule. In the sociology of Islamic law, protection is a benchmark for the assessment of society in the social environment. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to find out how the implementation of marriage according to PP. No. 9 of 1975 concerning the Marriage Law in the socio-anthropological perspective of Islamic Law.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-152
Author(s):  
Radosław Molenda

Showing the specificity of the work of the contemporary library, and the variety of its tasks, which go far beyond the lending of books. The specificity of the library’s public relations concerning different aspects of its activity. The internal and external functions of the library’s public relations and their specificity. The significant question of motivating the social environment to use the offer of libraries, and simulta-neously the need to change the negative perception of the library, which discourages part of its poten-tial users from taking advantage of its services. The negative stereotypes of librarians’ work perpetuated in the public consciousness and their harmful character. The need to change the public relations of libra-ries and librarians with a view to improving the realization of the tasks they face. Showing the public relations tools which may serve to change the image of librarians and libraries with particular emphasis on social media. This article is a review article, highlighting selected research on the librarian’s stereo-type and suggesting actions that change the image of librarians and libraries.


Author(s):  
Volodymyr Ryabchenko

There are following prerequisites outlined in this article: worldwide democratization trend; complexity of structures of social systems; growing needs in human capital development; autonomy of national higher education institutions; civilizational problem of Ukraine in national elite. Conceptual problems on a road to real democracy in higher education institutions were actualized and analyzed. Determined and characterized three models of higher education institutions activities based on the level of democratization needs of their social environment as: negative, neutral and favorable.


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