Ruxton Graeme D, Humphries Stuart, Morrell Lesley J, Wilkinson David M
School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY12 9TH, UK.
School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
J Anim Ecol. 2014 Nov;83(6):1248-55. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12251. Epub 2014 Jun 24.
Eusociality has evolved multiple times across diverse terrestrial taxa, and eusocial species fundamentally shape many terrestrial ecosystems. However, eusocial species are far less common and have much less ecological impact, in aquatic than terrestrial environments. Here, we offer a potential explanation for these observations. It appears that a precondition for the evolution of eusociality is the defence and repeated feeding of offspring in a nest or other protected cavity, and so eusocial species must be able to exploit a predator-safe, long-lasting (multigenerational) expandable nest. We argue that a range of factors mean that opportunities for such nests are much more widespread and the advantages more compelling in terrestrial than aquatic ecosystems.
真社会性在多种陆生生物分类群中多次独立演化，真社会物种从根本上塑造了许多陆地生态系统。然而，与陆地环境相比，真社会物种在水生环境中远没有那么常见，对生态的影响也小得多。在此，我们为这些观察结果提供一种可能的解释。真社会性演化的一个前提似乎是在巢穴或其他受保护的洞穴中对后代进行防御和反复喂养，因此真社会物种必须能够利用一个对捕食者安全、持久（多代）且可扩展的巢穴。我们认为，一系列因素意味着，与水生生态系统相比，这种巢穴在陆地生态系统中的出现机会要广泛得多，其优势也更具说服力。
