Small brains, bright minds
Article Abstract:
The small, accessible brain of the honeybee and the availability of the complete sequence of its genome make this social insect an ideal model for studying the connection between learning, memory and social behavior. The honeybee's social system is characterized by the division of labor among worker honeybees, age-based but highly regulated process and the workers accomplish defined tasks in response to pre=established genetic programs that can be adapted at any moment to changes.
Publication Name: Cell
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0092-8674
Year: 2006
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Social behavior and the evolution of neuropeptide genes: Lessons from the honeybee genome
Article Abstract:
The study presents a complete analysis of a honeybee genome that confirms the presence of a large number of neuropeptides in the insect and also describes and explains its social behavior, as well as its evolution. The analysis states that in spite of the genes being a messenger of the brain's signals and being able to modulate behavior tremendously, its increasing number is not found to be related to the social behavior.
Publication Name: BioEssays
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0265-9247
Year: 2007
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The making of a social insect: Developmental architectures of social design
Article Abstract:
Ancestral developmental programs are used to derive the origins of complex social behavior, from which insect societies emerge. Behavioral assays, selective breeding, and genetic mapping are used to describe the evolution of complex social behavior from heterochronic changes in reproductive signaling systems that govern ubiquitous and ancient relationships between behavior and ovarian development.
Publication Name: BioEssays
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0265-9247
Year: 2007
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