A recent study by Fournier et al. (2003) provides important new information on sex allocation in the ant Pheidole pallidula, and proposes a new scenario for sex-ratio evolution in P. pallidula and similar species. However, Helms proposed to the authors that two important conclusions of the study were questionable because of potential problems with the analyses. Here we provide new data and a reanalysis that strengthens the conclusion that colony sex ratio is associated with breeding system (i.e., polygyny or monogyny). However, the proposal that colonies shift from monogyny to polygyny when they become larger and more productive is weakened because there is substantial overlap in productivity between monogynous and polygynous colonies.
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1 May 2004
COLONY SEX RATIOS IN THE FACULTATIVELY POLYGYNOUS ANT PHEIDOLE PALLIDULA: A REANALYSIS WITH NEW DATA
Ken R. Helms,
Denis Fournier,
Laurent Keller,
Luc Passera,
Serge Aron
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Evolution
Vol. 58 • No. 5
May 2004
Vol. 58 • No. 5
May 2004
ants
colony productivity
Pheidole pallidula
queen-worker conflict
sex ratio