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Title
Variation in Growth Rate of Colonies with Differing Queen Systems in the Ant Species Pogonomyrmex californicus
Description
I tested the hypothesis that in mature colonies of the seed harvester Pogonomyrmex californicus ant species, paired pleometrotic queens would produce workers more efficiently after a massive removal of their work force than haplometrotic queens, paired pleometrotic with haplometrotic queens, and single pleometrotic queens. I suggested that the paired pleometrotic queens would have an advantage of cooperating together in reproducing more workers quicker than the other conditions to make up for the lost workers. This would demonstrate a benefit that pleometrosis has over haplometrosis for mature colonies, which would explain why pleometrosis continues for P.californicus after colony foundation. After removing all but twenty workers for every colony, I took pictures and counted the emerging brood for 52 days. Analyses showed that the paired pleometrotic queens and the haplometrotic queens both grew at an equally efficient rate and the paired pleometrotic and haplometrotic queens growing the least efficiently. However, the results were not significant and did not support the hypothesis that paired pleometrotic queens recover from worker loss more proficiently than other social systems.
Date Created
2014-05
Contributors
- Fernandez, Marisa Raquel (Author)
- Fewell, Jennifer (Thesis director)
- Gadau, Juergen (Committee member)
- Haney, Brian (Committee member)
- Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
- School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
- Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
18 pages
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Series
Academic Year 2013-2014
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.22871
Level of coding
minimal
Cataloging Standards
System Created
- 2017-10-30 02:50:57
System Modified
- 2021-08-11 04:09:57
- 3 years 1 month ago
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