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Date: | Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:27:06 -0500 |
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An example of supposed sub-species differences
> Here, we document patterns of phenotypic variation in the widely distributed Western honey bee Apis mellifera, focusing on two subspecies from East Africa, A. m. monticola and A. m. scutellata. Two of the key differences between montane forest and savanna honeybee populations are their coloration and size. The morphometric data suggest that the colonies from mountain forest and savanna areas belong to two distinct groups.
> In order to further test levels of differentiation between forest and savanna populations we used microsatellite data and mitochondrial DNA to evaluate genetic differentiation between populations. Overall our molecular analyses suggest there are no tangible differentiations between the two putative subspecies. Our findings suggest that phenotypic plasticity rather than distinct ancestry is the leading cause behind the phenotypic divergence observed between montane forest and savanna honey bees.
comment:
These bees were thought to be distinct subspecies based on significant differences in external characters. Ultimately, the investigators found them to be genetically indistinct and attribute the apparent difference to environmental influences. The distinction between scutellata and capensis is also tenuous. What I am saying is that many of these sub-species distinctions do not hold up under scrutiny, and/or can be attributed to environmental conditions rather than genetic differences.
PLB
source: Gruber, K., Schöning, C., Otte, M., Kinuthia, W., & Hasselmann, M. (2013). Distinct subspecies or phenotypic plasticity? Genetic and morphological differentiation of mountain honey bees in East Africa. Ecology and evolution, 3(10), 3204-3218.
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