Robert Butcher gives a fascinating account of the above. Would it be
possible to explain this fascinating subject in more everyday terms?.

I must say that I do not understand the paragraph beginning as follows:

>"Colonies" potentially have the
>advantages of both thelytoky (rapid clonal expansion of currently
>advantageous gene combinations without having to be reliant on other
>males, or production of males rather then females, so queens and
>their associated reproductively active (clonal) daughter workers can
>rapidly reproduce compared to "sexual" species{all other things not
>being limited]; whilst maintaining the advantages of sexual
>reproduction (recombination, gene flow) to allow new genotype
>combinations and thus a buffer against changing environment .....


Sincerely

Tom Barrett
49 South Park, Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
Tel + 353 1 289 5269
Fax + 353 1 289 9940