Towards a better understanding of the evolution of specialized parasites of fungus-growing ant crops

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelfagfællebedømt

Fungus-growing ants have interacted and partly coevolved with specialised microfungal parasites of the genus Escovopsis since
the origin of ant fungiculture about 50 million years ago. Here, we review the recent progress in understanding the patterns of
specificity of this ant-parasite association, covering both the colony/population level and comparisons between phylogenetic clades.
We use a modified version of Tinbergen’s four categories of evolutionary questions to structure our review in complementary
approaches addressing both proximate questions of development and mechanism, and ultimate questions of (co)adaptation and
evolutionary history. Using the same scheme, we identify future research questions that are likely to be particularly illuminating
for understanding the ecology and evolution of Escovopsis parasitism of the cultivar maintained by fungus-growing ants
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftPsyche (Cambridge, 1874)
Vol/bind2012
Antal sider10
ISSN0033-2615
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2012

Bibliografisk note

Article ID 239392

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