Heinze J, Keller L
Trends Ecol Evol. 2000 Dec 1;15(12):508-512. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)01995-9.
Ant colonies are commonly thought to have a stable and simple family structure, with one or a few egg-laying queens and their worker daughters. However, recent genetic studies reveal that the identity of breeding queens can vary over time within colonies. In several species, some queens are apparently specialized to enter established colonies instead of initiating a new colony on their own. The previously overlooked occurrence of queen turnover within colonies has important consequences not only on the genetic structure and nature of kin conflict within colonies, but also on the evolution of social parasitism.
蚁群通常被认为具有稳定且简单的家族结构，由一个或几个产卵蚁后及其工蚁女儿组成。然而，最近的基因研究表明，蚁群中繁殖蚁后的身份会随时间变化。在几个物种中，一些蚁后显然专门进入已有的蚁群，而不是独自建立新的蚁群。蚁群内部先前被忽视的蚁后更替现象不仅对蚁群内的基因结构和亲属冲突的性质有重要影响，而且对社会寄生现象的进化也有重要影响。
