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Developmental and dominance-associated differences in mushroom body structure in the paper wasp Mischocyttarus mastigophorus
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Developmental and dominance-associated differences in mushroom body structure in the paper wasp Mischocyttarus mastigophorus

Sean O'Donnell, Nicole Donlan and Theresa Jones
Developmental neurobiology (Hoboken, N.J.), v 67(1), pp 39-46
Jan 2007
PMID: 17443770

Abstract

Neuropil - physiology Mushroom Bodies - physiology Age Factors Neuroanatomy - methods Social Dominance Feeding Behavior - physiology Behavior, Animal Neurons - classification Animals Neurons - physiology Mushroom Bodies - cytology Female Wasps
Primitively eusocial paper wasps exhibit considerable plasticity in their division of labor. Dominance interactions among nest mates play a strong role in determining the task performance patterns of adult females. We asked whether dominance status and task performance differences were associated with the development of subregions of the mushroom bodies (MB) of female Mischocyttarus mastigophorus queens and workers. We found that the MB calycal neuropils were better developed (relative to the Kenyon cell body layer) in the dominant females that spent more time on the nest. Increased MB calyx development was more strongly associated with social dominance than with high rates of foraging. The MB of queens resembled those of dominant workers. The results suggest that social interactions are particularly relevant to M. mastigophorus females' cognition. By examining the MB of newly emerged females, we also found evidence for significant age-related changes in MB structure.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Developmental Biology
Neurosciences
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