Jones Julia C, Myerscough Mary R, Graham Sonia, Oldroyd Benjamin P
School of Biological Sciences, Macleay Building A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Science. 2004 Jul 16;305(5682):402-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1096340. Epub 2004 Jun 24.
A honey bee colony is characterized by high genetic diversity among its workers, generated by high levels of multiple mating by its queen. Few clear benefits of this genetic diversity are known. Here we show that brood nest temperatures in genetically diverse colonies (i.e., those sired by several males) tend to be more stable than in genetically uniform ones (i.e., those sired by one male). One reason this increased stability arises is because genetically determined diversity in workers' temperature response thresholds modulates the hive-ventilating behavior of individual workers, preventing excessive colony-level responses to temperature fluctuations.
蜂群的特点是其工蜂具有高度的遗传多样性，这是由蜂后多次交配的高频率所产生的。目前已知这种遗传多样性几乎没有明显的益处。在此我们表明，基因多样化蜂群（即由几只雄蜂授精的蜂群）中的育雏巢温度往往比基因单一的蜂群（即由一只雄蜂授精的蜂群）更稳定。这种稳定性增加的一个原因是，工蜂温度反应阈值的基因决定的多样性调节了个体工蜂的蜂巢通风行为，防止蜂群对温度波动产生过度反应。
