> The honey bee population on the island acquired a mosaic of features from AHB or the European honey bee (EHB). AHB in Puerto Rico shows a major distinctive characteristic, docile behavior, and is called gentle Africanized honey bees (gAHB). We used 917 SNPs to examine the population structure, genetic differentiation, origin, and history of range expansion and colonization of gAHB in PR. We compared gAHB to populations that span the current distribution of A. mellifera worldwide. The gAHB population is shown to be a single population that differs genetically from the examined populations of AHB. Texas and PR groups are the closest genetically. Our results support the hypothesis that the Texas AHB population is the source of gAHB in Puerto Rico.

> The ancestral parental gAHB came from Texas. The gAHB population has diverged from its origin (Texas) and is a population with a distinct stable genetic structure. Our results suggest that gAHB may represent a new ecotype of Apis mellifera.

Jenny P. Acevedo‐Gonzalez, &al. Colonization history and population differentiation of the Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Puerto Rico. Ecology and Evolution. 2019;00:1–8.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html