Genomic analysis of meiotic recombination in social insects
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Prashant Waiker (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Olav Rueppell
Abstract: Meiotic recombination is a key event of sexual reproduction in higher eukaryotes that shuffles allele combinations and promotes accurate segregation of chromosomes. The rate of meiotic recombination varies within and across species. All studied insects that show advanced eusociality have shown exceptional rates of meiotic recombination suggesting its role in the evolution of eusociality. Eusociality has evolved independently mostly in two insect orders: Hymneoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) and Blattodea (termites). The notion of high recombination rates is based on just eight estimates of recombination rate from eusocial Hymenoptera (four of which are from a single genus) representing a lack of breadth of data in eusocial insects. To overcome this limitation, this dissertation presents recombination rate estimates from three unexplored species representing the taxa of stingless bees and termites. The results confirm the association of high recombination rates and eusociality but suggest eusocial Hymenoptera generally exhibit higher recombination rates than eusocial Blattodea. The dissertation also reports unusual linkage patterns in male termites that suggest the possibility of an unconventional mechanism of genomic exchange in termites. Overall, this dissertation helps in increasing the breadth of available recombination rate data and strengthen the support for the hypothesis that advanced social evolution in insects invariably selects for high recombination rates.
Genomic analysis of meiotic recombination in social insects
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Created on 5/1/2022
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- Eusociality, Meiotic recombination, Social insect, Stingless bees, Termites
- Subjects
- Genetic recombination
- Insect societies
- Stingless bees
- Termites