randy oliver wrote:
>What this suggests to me is that the European bee may have some old African
>genes in the back closet, which could be selected for to breed for the pest
>resistance that scutellata demonstrates.

Except for the fact that they use mitochondrial DNA to trace the lineage.
This material is not recombined in sexual reproduction so it remains
relatively unchanged for thousands of years. Hence, it would not be expected
to contain any information that reflected local adaptations such as one
would see in specific geographic races like scutellata. 

The genetic component to specific behaviors is not entirely understood nor
is the reason why scuts resist pests tied to one specific behavior. It may
be due to a shorter development period as some suggest, or due to their
tendency to swarm and abscond. Absconding is good way to get rid of pests. 

Finally, not all bees in Africa are scuts, and there is no suggestion that
all these bees descended from them, either. They undoubtedly all descended
from some ancestral race which is the source of the mitochondrial markers
which have been found in the descendants. From that ancestor we get the
races we now have.  

It could be that the original tropical ancestors were in fact more like
monticola. As they dispersed they evolved needed characters wherever they
went. If they went far north, they needed to become larger and learn to live
in cavities. If they went to the desert they needed to become smaller and be
able to survive long spells of hot, dry weather. If they went into the
savanna, they had to become fierce. 

It would be nice to think that there is a specific gene for pest resistance,
but following the studies of Dave Tarpy, Heather Matilla and all, it looks
as if it's crucial for a colony of honey bees to have a variety of lineages
and a variety of techniques for combating pests. The best breed may be a
combination of all of them, the ultimate super mutt.

pb

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