Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result

Home → Environment → Animals

These termites don’t need males, thank you very much

Female power!

Elena Motivans by Elena Motivans
September 27, 2018
in Animals, News

Although it seems that males are an essential part of reproduction, there are some species that do just fine without them. It is possible for some aphids, crayfish, and komodo dragons to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs. Now, researchers from the University of Sydney have discovered yet another species that is able to flourish without the male variety.

The species in question is the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai. They live in forests and usually form colonies led by a queen and king. The king mates with the female for life (crazily, a female termite can live 30-50 years).

Two queens leading an all-female colony. Credit: University of Sydney

The researchers found six termite populations in Japan that were comprised of only asexual females. To further confirm their suspicions, the researchers found only unfertilized eggs and a lack of sperm in the queens’ sperm storage organs. The unfertilized eggs hatched as successfully as fertilized eggs in mixed sex populations. Occasionally, unfertilized eggs can also develop in mixed sex colonies, which can explain how these populations were able to evolve. These Japanese populations mutated from the sexual populations to produce only unfertilized eggs about 14 million years ago.

“These results demonstrate males are not essential for the maintenance of animal societies in which they previously played an active social role,” said Professor Nathan Lo from the University of Sydney’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences.

It appears that the male-less termites have an edge on their sexually reproducing counterparts. Because there is no fertilization and only females, the male-less termites are able to reproduce twice as fast. The all-female colonies also had a lower proportion of soldiers with more uniform head sizes, which may indicate this method is more effective. This fast growth rate and soldier effectiveness could make it easier for these populations to expand and conquer new environments.

You may wonder how reproduction can work without males (and why we have them). It is actually a question that has puzzled biologists for ages. Non-sexual reproduction is basically like producing a genetically identical clone, which means that if there is some sort of new environmental stressor, these species may not be able to adapt quickly enough, which could lead to inbreeding problems. These termites are flourishing now, but they might be in trouble later on.

Journal reference: Toshihisa Yashiro, Nathan Lo, Kazuya Kobayashi, Tomonari Nozaki, Taro Fuchikawa, Nobuaki Mizumoto, Yusuke Namba, Kenji Matsuura. Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites. BMC Biology, 2018; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Termites know more about ventilation that human architects
  2. New paper traces the history of termites — and it’s surprisingly similar to our own
  3. Termites recycle their methane — scientists want us to copy them
  4. Family of termites has been traveling across the ocean for millions of years
  5. You have this weird-looking 423-million-year-old armored fish to thank for jaws

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW