A model for the developmental genetic origin of the wing polyphenism in ants
MARCOS HAGMAN, LEON GLASS, EHAB ABOUHEIF
Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Wing polyphenism in ants, which originated once 125 million years ago, was a key developmental transformation underlying the remarkable evolutionary success of ants. In most of the 12000 described ant species, the queen and male caste possess fully functional wings, while the worker caste is completely wingless. We present a mathematical model to explain the possible origin and evolution of the gene network that underlies the wing-polyphenism in ants. Our model demonstrates that the wing polyphenism could have originated by tinkering with a gene of major effect. This model holds important implications for the evolutionary dynamics of this gene network.