A novel supergene regulates alternative dispersal morphs without variation in social organization in the ant Myrmecina nipponica
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
- 2Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS), RIKEN Wako Campus, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
Abstract
Polymorphisms in complex traits with discrete phenotypes are often underpinned by non-recombining complexes of co-adaptive genes, known as supergenes. In disparate lineages of ants, it is increasingly evident that supergenes are important in regulating intra-specific variation in social organization (number of reproductive queens in a colony). Variation in social organization in ants is often associated with variation in dispersal, with multiple-queen (polygynous) colony types exhibiting more limited dispersal than single-queen (monogynous) colony types. It has been suggested that this association may give rise to antagonistic selection, which in turn may help explain the multiple independent evolutions of social supergenes in ants. In this study, we provide evidence of an exception to this pattern in the form of a novel supergene in the ant Myrmecina nipponica. This species exhibits a dispersal polymorphism with winged and wingless queens but without variation in social structure, as all colonies have a single, reproductive queen. We show that the dispersal polymorphism in this species is underpinned by an approximately 6.8 Mb supergene novel to ants. Interestingly, this supergene is structurally and functionally different from that recently reported in another member of this genus, illustrating how patterns of supergene evolution can show marked intrageneric variation.
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BibTeX
@article{liprado2026novel,
title = {{A novel supergene regulates alternative dispersal morphs without variation in social organization in the ant Myrmecina nipponica}},
author = {Ermae Liprado and Isaac Planas-Sitjà and Yu Okamura and Adam L. Cronin},
journal = {Biology Letters},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2026.0475},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0475},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A novel supergene regulates alternative dispersal morphs without variation in social organization in the ant Myrmecina nipponica
AU - Ermae Liprado
AU - Isaac Planas-Sitjà
AU - Yu Okamura
AU - Adam L. Cronin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Biology Letters
DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2026.0475
UR - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0475
AB - Polymorphisms in complex traits with discrete phenotypes are often underpinned by non-recombining complexes of co-adaptive genes, known as supergenes. In disparate lineages of ants, it is increasingly evident that supergenes are important in regulating intra-specific variation in social organization (number of reproductive queens in a colony). Variation in social organization in ants is often associated with variation in dispersal, with multiple-queen (polygynous) colony types exhibiting more limited dispersal than single-queen (monogynous) colony types. It has been suggested that this association may give rise to antagonistic selection, which in turn may help explain the multiple independent evolutions of social supergenes in ants. In this study, we provide evidence of an exception to this pattern in the form of a novel supergene in the ant Myrmecina nipponica. This species exhibits a dispersal polymorphism with winged and wingless queens but without variation in social structure, as all colonies have a single, reproductive queen. We show that the dispersal polymorphism in this species is underpinned by an approximately 6.8 Mb supergene novel to ants. Interestingly, this supergene is structurally and functionally different from that recently reported in another member of this genus, illustrating how patterns of supergene evolution can show marked intrageneric variation.
SN - 1744-9561
SN - 1744-957X
ER -