How to make a social insect

摘要

The profound biological changes that lofted the honeybee to an advanced state of social organization are reflected in its newly sequenced genome. The species can now be studied all the way from molecule to colony. The transformation of an insect species from a solitary lifestyle to advanced colonial existence requires alterations in every system of the body, coupled with sufficient plasticity in the traits prescribed by the genes to generate strong differences among the adult castes. A picture of this revolution at the genomic level is published in this issue (page 931)1. If Earth's social organisms are scored by complexity of communication, division of labour and intensity of group integration, three pinnacles of evolution stand out: humanity, thejellyfish-like siphonophores, and a select assemblage of social insect species2'3. The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is a member of this insect group - which also includes the spectacular leaf-cutting ants, army ants and macro-termitine mound-building termites - and no one can deny that it belongs in this front rank4.