The Genetic Basis of Behaviour

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well defined genes which determine well defined dilscrete ... several genes r,robably act in concert to bring about any kil)d of behaviour. ... text book example.
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Technical THE

actively

of

BASIS

what

of

extent

strong

the

Sociobiology fingers

on

not at all complex

the

a1'

several

behaviour

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the

brood

is

sometimes

killed

uncap

cells

strains

of

remove

honey by

me/litera,

for

this

bee

control the

appropriately

and

well

defined

the

more

is

what

but

behaviour kil)d

of behaviour. study

fail to ch~ck

of

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spread

has

is a very

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to put

behaviours

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foulbrood

"unhygenic",

dilscrete

by

Zool

even

which

any

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of another

been obvious,

about

1964

control

time

become

that because

(Amer.

thereby

called

always

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has

in

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the

has

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to bring

provided

since

behaviour

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question

be considered

evolution

me/litera

called

pupae

of

act in concert

Apis

might

determine

this

This

especially

behaviour

was

a disease

diseased

who

for

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to

Galdon

which

reason

genes

and

influence

genes

exception

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defined

determined?

Darwin

genetic

theories

genes

The main

important

the

genetic

well

phenomenon,

Francis

in

That

genetically

Charles

namely

of

about.

singte

and

of

Interl3st

been easy.

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behaviour

time

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advent

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animal

since

genetics.

with

1988

BEHAVIOUR

is

Erasmus

behaviour

our

OF

investigated

grandson

Sept.

Section

GENETIC To

Vol 2, No.2

of

worker

bees

infection.

infection

Some

by this metAod,

\

Rothenbuhler

crossed

1. that

he

for

Uncapping could

remove

"hygenic"

them

of the cells

produce and

with

bees

similarly

"unhygenic"

and re~oval

which bees

bees

of

uncapped which

and

the

fells

diseased

of

removed

discovered

brood

disease

diseased

two

can be

containing

pupae

interesting

if

dissociated

pupae he

facts:

but

uncapped

so

did the

not cells

them, 2.

By

behaviour

was

diseased

brood.

the

familiar

controlled He also

genetic

technique

by two

genes,

showed

that

of back-crossing, one

for

Rothenbuhler

uncapping

"hygenic"

and

behaviour

was

showed

another

that

for

dominant

"hygenic"

removal

over

of the

"unhygenic"

behaviour. Although reasons

to

believe

suspected,.

'the

text

book

and

studied

complex the

4

genetic

further

amongst

bee

control

It is

rather

because

behaviour.

honey

studies

of

that the underlying

example.

phenomenon share

subsequent

The Apis

namely

genetic

of

hygenic

phenomenon behaviour

that

was

an

excellent

situation

has

now

been

a variety

of

the

genetic

or division of

complex

of

in

been

honey

example remedied

basis labour. tasks

of

of with an

It is well such

difficult

more complex

the "unhygenic"

this

me/litera,

have

is probably

behaviour

unfortunate

"Polyethism"

themselves

this

than

bees'

has

strain

could

the

genetic

the even

and

known

as nest-building,

are

Rothenbuhler

become

a standard

not be maintained control

discovery, more

there

once

complex

that honey nursing

of fairly again

in

behavioural bee workers brood,

food,

"storage,

foraging

Workers

change

etc.

Sharing

their

some workers

of work

behavioural

roles as they

are more likely

division

of labour

brought

thought

to be

exclusively

worker

honey

bees

or division

to perform

about?

Untill

environmentally

has a genetic

of

grow

older

tasks

recently

behavioural

is the

than

message

and

Vol. 333,

queen

consisted

sample

sample

bees picked

randomly

consisted

Frumhoff time

This certain

bees,

and Baker

of

the

importantly

again

as 17 before

she returns

queen create

such

genetic

be a better

way

published

in

and P. C, Frumhoff

these

to the

nest while

by

daughters their

of daughter.

such colonies:

the

task

they were performing;

nest entrance;

bee is known colony

might

different

artificially

simpler

almost

be more

behaviours, colony

likely

genetic

system

several

different

then

such

queen

that

for

bees of one but such

for

pre-disposition studies

for

on behaviour

perplexing

aspect

Intuitively

of

the

on~ might have thought

with

genotypes

Why should

each other and make of bees have different

mating

by the queen may

organisation. RAGHAVENDRA

Centre

bees, but

by electrophoresis

of egg-laying.

multiple

male

males, sometimes as manY

to co-operate

that

bees fathered

nest-mates,

an otherwise

among her. daughters?

Repeating

equally by both patrilines.

atleast

her career

the third

by a different

inseminating

of grooming

model

explain

fathered

and they found

of, or

to mate with

and begins

and

By eleGtrophoresing

distinguishable

in the task

help

however,

efficient

those

are performed

might

the first sample

result that the worker

not only

determination

results

If it is true,

of ensuring

the

nest-mates

heterogeneity

performing

patrilines

of bees in each group.

the surprising

makes honey bees an ideal

daughters

life harmonious. for

among

inseminating

of what behaviour

composition

to specialise

genetic

The queen

similar

made

likely

as feeding

More

bee biology.

was

by artificially

distinguishable

g~arding

colonies

produce

This more

once

propensities

set up

used would

behaviours

that genetically

also

itself.

were

up with

dead

behaviours

genetics.

they came

to remove

evidence

recent paf}ers

honey bee colonies

irrespective

the genetic

to guard

are significantly

very common

is such

variability

the task of clearing the nest of dead bees.

likely

colour

How

among workers

pp. 356-358

40 bees each from

which

more

the drones

but by body patriline

colony

of bees

determined

were

more likely

honey

of about

ten times,

by some males

this

samples

bees, they

his experiment

experimental

electrophoretically

of bees that were performing

of these

were

three

of 'control'

the second

all

Page established

that she produced

Then they collected

workers.

pp. 358-361).

and

bees such

means.

a given age class

variation

of two

1988 (G.E. Robinson and R.E. Page Jr" Vol, 333,

Robinson

other

by two

That such behavioural

Nature in May J, Bdker.

is achieved

and even within

certain

induced.

basis

labour

Ecological

SciencEs.1

ndian

Institute

of Science

GADAGKAR

Bangalore-560

012

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