Genomic tools are allowing us to dissect the roles of genes and genetic architecture in social
evolution, and eusocial insects are excellent models. Numerous hypotheses for molecular …

The evolution of eusociality is a perennial issue in evolutionary biology, and genomic
advances have fueled steadily growing interest in the genetic changes underlying social …

The evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance is controversial. While epigenetic
marks such as DNA methylation can affect gene function and change in response to …

Facultatively social species exhibit behavioral plasticity in response to changes in ecological
conditions and social environment, and thus provide a natural experiment to compare …

While it is well known that the genome can affect social behavior, recent models posit that
social lifestyles can, in turn, influence genome evolution. Here, we perform the most …

Developmental plasticity describes the influence of environmental factors on phenotypic
variation. An important mediator of developmental plasticity in many animals is parental …

Highlights●Comparative genomics can uncover molecular signatures of eusocial
evolution.●Changes in transcriptional regulation with each emergence of …

Many wild and managed bee pollinators have experienced population declines over the
past several decades, and molecular and population genetic tools have been valuable in …

A key mechanistic hypothesis for the evolution of division of labour in social insects is that a
shared set of genes co-opted from a common solitary ancestral ground plan (a genetic …

Mothers play a key role in determining the body size, behavior, and fitness of offspring.
Mothers of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, provide smaller pollen balls to their …