Comparative Allometry in the Larval Broods of Three Army-Ant Genera, and Differential Growth as Related to Colony Behavior
1968; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 102; Issue: 928 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1086/282566
ISSN1537-5323
AutoresT. C. Schneirla, Rosamond Gianutsos, Bernard S. Pasternack,
Tópico(s)Animal Behavior and Reproduction
ResumoAllometric (relative) growth was assessed in the larvae of species in the doryline ant genera Eciton, Neivamyrmex, and Aenictus, from measurements of body length and leg-disk area of specimens in brood samples taken from colonies studied in the field. The relationship of the values used, body length (x) and leg-disk area (y), was found most appropriately expressed by the exponential function, y = abx. Treatment of the data admitted intracolony and generic comparisons by regression analyses, and differences were found on both of these levels. Our findings disclose that brood allometry is regular throughout the main part of the larval stage, leading in a gradual manner to the corresponding (growth-fixed) adult population. Through differential growth in the polymorphic genera, the time range of individuals in the synchronized brood at larval and at pupal maturity is shortened appreciably over that at egg laying. This principle, called "developmental convergence," is discussed in its relation to colony cyclic behavior. The results confirmed the empirical expectation that the larval broods of Eciton and Neivamyrmex are polymorphic, whereas those of Aenictus are quasi-monomorphic. The exponential function fits data for larval series better than does the power function.
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