Guest Lecture #1 MCB 2610
fungus-growing ants - correct answer ✔a model to understand symbiotic
communities
natural selection - correct answer ✔survival of the fittest; occurs at the level
of reproduction
symbiotic relationships feature multiple reproductive - correct answer
✔maximizing reproduction is in the best interest of each organism
commensalism - correct answer ✔neither party benefits
pathogenesis - correct answer ✔uncooperation; one party benefits
mutualism - correct answer ✔cooperation; both parties benefit
symbiosis and microbiomes - correct answer ✔all macroorganisms live with
a host of microbes
attine ants - correct answer ✔-an important model for the study of
cooperation and conflict for over 100 years (symbiosis and sociobiology)
-native primarily in the Neo-Tropics
-herbivorous, but cultivate a fungal symbiont as a major nutrient source
-cultivation includes propagation, fertilization, and defense
-monophyletic grouping
, attine diversity - correct answer ✔-gradient of evolutionary sophistication
-colony size
-nutrient source
-caste differentiation
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis - correct answer ✔-Klassen lab model system
-ranges in USA from NJ to TX
-small colonies, ~1000 workers
-eat mostly oak catkins, caterpillar frass (poop), fresh leaves
leaf-cutter ants - correct answer ✔-the mostly highly evolved fungus-growing
ants
-atta: millions of colony members
-dominant herbivore in neo-tropical forests
the life cycle of a leaf-cutter colony - correct answer ✔-cue of reproduction,
eggs laid by queen (only time you will find males), these fly on nuptial flight
and reproduce. females will dig a new nest and males will die off
-production of sexual-->mating flights-->colony founding-->colony growth
clonal propagation - correct answer ✔the queen carries the fungus to start
the new garden
fungus-growing ants - correct answer ✔-fungus growing ants codiversify with
their cultivar fungus
-clonal propagation
fungus-growing ants - correct answer ✔a model to understand symbiotic
communities
natural selection - correct answer ✔survival of the fittest; occurs at the level
of reproduction
symbiotic relationships feature multiple reproductive - correct answer
✔maximizing reproduction is in the best interest of each organism
commensalism - correct answer ✔neither party benefits
pathogenesis - correct answer ✔uncooperation; one party benefits
mutualism - correct answer ✔cooperation; both parties benefit
symbiosis and microbiomes - correct answer ✔all macroorganisms live with
a host of microbes
attine ants - correct answer ✔-an important model for the study of
cooperation and conflict for over 100 years (symbiosis and sociobiology)
-native primarily in the Neo-Tropics
-herbivorous, but cultivate a fungal symbiont as a major nutrient source
-cultivation includes propagation, fertilization, and defense
-monophyletic grouping
, attine diversity - correct answer ✔-gradient of evolutionary sophistication
-colony size
-nutrient source
-caste differentiation
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis - correct answer ✔-Klassen lab model system
-ranges in USA from NJ to TX
-small colonies, ~1000 workers
-eat mostly oak catkins, caterpillar frass (poop), fresh leaves
leaf-cutter ants - correct answer ✔-the mostly highly evolved fungus-growing
ants
-atta: millions of colony members
-dominant herbivore in neo-tropical forests
the life cycle of a leaf-cutter colony - correct answer ✔-cue of reproduction,
eggs laid by queen (only time you will find males), these fly on nuptial flight
and reproduce. females will dig a new nest and males will die off
-production of sexual-->mating flights-->colony founding-->colony growth
clonal propagation - correct answer ✔the queen carries the fungus to start
the new garden
fungus-growing ants - correct answer ✔-fungus growing ants codiversify with
their cultivar fungus
-clonal propagation
