I am so happy to see this work published 🥳 @FWF_at @Mol_Ecol @uniinnsbruck #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #AggressiveBehaviour
We investigate which factors potentially influence the aggressive behaviour in the high-elevation #ant Tetramorium alpestre.
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722075453?via%3Dihub
In a correlative approach, we analysed the behaviour 😡 as well as genetic & environmental proxies of 47 colony fragments collected across the European Alps: Within- & across-colony genetic relatedness, cuticular hydrocarbons, body size, across-colony geographic distance, ...
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... air temperature, and worker nitrogen values additionally to within-population aggressive behaviour. We speculated that a) these proxies and aggressive behaviour differ among populations, and that b) one or more of these proxies influence aggression. 😡💢 We found that ...
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... a) some environmental proxies & aggression differed among populations but not genetic proxies & b) air temperature & worker nitrogen-isotope values correlated positively with worker aggression😡.
We also found single- & multiple-queened colonies within the same population
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Even though social structure varied between populations, the data show that environmental factors, rather than social structures, had an impact on this ant's aggressive behaviour. We infer that #GlobalChange affects aggression in this ant 🐜 and ...
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... propose 5 mutually non-exclusive scenarios to explain the behavioural change mechanistically. We speculate that aggression may increase due to future increases in temperature & nitrogen availability in this #ant & other species living in high elevations. @STOTEN_journal
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