Symbiont fidelity and the origin of species in fungus-growing ants.

Nature Communications
Natasha J MehdiabadiTed Schultz

Abstract

A major problem in evolutionary biology is explaining the success of mutualism. Solving this problem requires understanding the level of fidelity between interacting partners. Recent studies have proposed that fungus-growing ants and their fungal cultivars are the products of 'diffuse' coevolution, in which single ant and fungal species are not exclusive to one another. Here we show for ants and associated fungi in the Cyphomyrmex wheeleri species group that each ant species has been exclusively associated with a single fungal cultivar 'species' for millions of years, even though alternative cultivars are readily available, and that rare shifts to new cultivars are associated with ant speciation. Such long-term partner fidelity may have facilitated 'tight' ant-fungus coevolution, and shifts to new fungal cultivars may have had a role in the origin of new ant species.

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Citations

Apr 15, 2014·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·L Lange, M N Grell
Dec 8, 2015·Ecology and Evolution·Ryan R Bracewell, Diana L Six
Dec 3, 2014·Fungal Genetics and Biology : FG & B·Kerry O'DonnellAlejandro P Rooney
Apr 25, 2015·Molecular Ecology·Joanito LibertiJacobus J Boomsma
Dec 30, 2017·Microbial Ecology·Katrin KellnerU G Mueller
Nov 10, 2018·Molecular Ecology·Panagiotis SapountzisJacobus J Boomsma
Apr 14, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Michael G BranstetterTed R Schultz
Aug 5, 2019·The Journal of Microbiology·Cely T GonzálezHermógenes Fernández-Marín
Nov 15, 2017·Molecular Ecology·Ulrich G MuellerMaurício Bacci
May 8, 2014·The Journal of Experimental Biology·J N SealU G Mueller
May 26, 2021·Critical Reviews in Microbiology·Laurence Van MollLeen Van Campenhout

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