Reproductive workers show queen-like gene expression in an intermediately eusocial insect, the buff-tailed bumble bee Bombus terrestris.
Mark C Harrison, Robert L Hammond, Eamonn B Mallon
The paper compares gene expression between castes in bumble bees, finding reproductive workers show queen-like expression patterns, contrasting with higher eusocial species.
bioRxiv · Apr 22, 2015Evolutionary Biology