Highlights•Phenotypic diversity within species arises through variation in gene expression.•
Technological advances have greatly advanced the study of gene expression in …

Social insects have provided some of the clearest insights into the origins and evolution of
collective behaviour. Over 20 years ago, Maynard Smith and Szathmáry defined the most …

A key mechanistic hypothesis for the evolution of division of labour in social insects is that a
shared set of genes co-opted from a common solitary ancestral ground plan (a genetic …

The initial emergence of the primary root from a germinating seed is a pivotal phase that
influences a plant's survival. Abiotic factors such as pH, nutrient availability, and soil …

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual to alter its phenotype in response to
changes in the environment, has been proposed as a target for breeding crop varieties with …

Background In insect societies, queens monopolize reproduction while workers perform
tasks such as brood care or foraging. Queen loss leads to ovary development and lifespan …

The evolution of eusociality requires that individuals forgo some or all their own reproduction
to assist the reproduction of others in their group, such as a primary egg-laying queen. A …

In social hymenopterans, workers specialize in different tasks. Whether a worker nurses the
brood or forages is influenced by the responsiveness for task-related cues which in turn is …

In the field of animal behavior and behavioral ecology, many standardized methods to
observe animal behavior were established in the last decades. While the protocols …

DNA methylation in insects is integral to cellular differentiation, development, gene
regulation, genome integrity, and phenotypic plasticity. However, its evolutionary potential …