Ecological and evolutionary consequences of worker morphological variation in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Rivera, Michael
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117670
Description
Title
Ecological and evolutionary consequences of worker morphological variation in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author(s)
Rivera, Michael
Issue Date
2022-11-30
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Suarez, Andrew
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Suarez, Andrew
Committee Member(s)
Anderson, Philip S. L.
Dolezal, Adam
Fuller, Becky
Johnson, Kevin P.
Department of Study
School of Integrative Biology
Discipline
Ecol, Evol, Conservation Biol
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
social insects
macroevolution
ants
Abstract
For my dissertation, I approach the evolution of worker polymorphism at multiple biological levels, exploring both the evolutionary pattern of worker polymorphism and its functional consequences. My first chapter focus on the broad-scale patterns of worker morphology both in a deep-time evolutionary scope and global ecological context. In Chapter 1, I use phylogenetic comparative methods to analyze a newly created database of extant and extinct worker body size among ant genera. I also draw upon the large wealth of literature on the evolution of body size, extending it to include body size variation in eusocial taxa. Chapter 2 explores scaling constraints in bite force. Previous work suggests the scaling relationship between bite force and body size may be different within polymorphic species compared to across monomorphic species. Working primarily in the harvester ant genus Pogonomyrmex, this project combines biomechanical methods in a phylogenetic context. The final chapter explores the functional consequences of having a variable workforce with a focus on individual-level performance. In Chapter 3, I ask how worker morphological traits, including body size, correlate with trophic position, testing the hypotheses of functional traits in ant workers.
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