@ARTICLE{TreeBASE2Ref26525,
author = {Benjamin David Blanchard and Corrie S. Moreau},
title = {Defensive traits exhibit an evolutionary trade-off and drive diversification in ants},
year = {2016},
keywords = {Evolutionary trade-off, trait-based diversification, defense, ancestral state reconstruction, Formicidae},
doi = {},
url = {http://},
pmid = {},
journal = {Evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
abstract = {Evolutionary biologists have long predicted that evolutionary trade-offs among traits should constrain morphological divergence and species diversification. However, this prediction has yet to be tested in a broad evolutionary context in many diverse clades, including ants. Here, we reconstruct an expanded ant phylogeny representing 82% of ant genera, compile a new family-wide trait database, and conduct various trait-based analyses to show that defensive traits in ants do exhibit an evolutionary trade-off. In particular, the use of a functional sting negatively correlates with a suite of other defensive traits including spines, large eye size, and large colony size. Furthermore, we find that several of the defensive traits that trade off with a sting are also positively correlated with each other and drive increased diversification, further suggesting that these traits form a defensive suite. Our results support the hypothesis that trade-offs in defensive traits significantly constrain trait evolution and influence species diversification in ants.}
}
Trees for Study 19313
Citation title:
"Defensive traits exhibit an evolutionary trade-off and drive diversification in ants".
Study name:
"Defensive traits exhibit an evolutionary trade-off and drive diversification in ants".
This study is part of submission 19313
(Status: Published).
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