Betty McAdam writes:
>I have been following the thread on mtDNA with interest and hope there some
>of the learned contributors can clarify a question for me.
>
>Study of geographic variation in the mtDNA of honey bees has revealed four
>geographic lineages of mtDNA mitotypes
>
>How does this relate to the classification of races within Apis Mellifera?

reply:

First off, let me say this: I am not a geneticist. My interest in
evolutionary biology is that of an amateur (from Latin amator "lover", from
amare "to love"). 

If you still believe in evolution, which evidently a lot of Americans these
days say they don't, the explanation is thus:  Honey bees come from a common
ancestor, perhaps in what is now India or Africa. They were classified in
the 1800s into the groups we have today, based on observed characteristics
such as color, size, behavior and locale. 

Various populations of honey bees were geographically isolated from one
another over more or less time. The longer time elapsed, the more the subset
evolved and hence, became differentiated from the original ancestor and
other populations in other locales. As a result, we see the various species
like Apis mellifera and A. cerana, which cannot interbreed, and the
so-called races such as A. m. ligustica and  A. m. carnica, which can. 

The study of DNA is relatively new, and mostly supports the original
classification, and also supports the evolutionary explanation. Bees races
that were not very far apart when discovered, logically have genetic
material that is the very similar. This, of course, does not account for why
there should be separate species in the same area, such as India. We
speculate that these are branches that separated long ago, under different
conditions from those now existing.

pb

* * *

[QUOTED MATERIAL FOLLOWS]

West European mtDNA is found in western and northern Europe (A. m. mellifera
Linnaeus, the European black bee), northern Spain (some A. m. iberiensis
Engel), and southern Italy. 

East European mtDNA is found in southeastern European, the eastern
Mediterranean, and Anatolian populations, including A. m. carnica Pollmann,
A. m. ligustica Spinola, A. m. caucasia Pollmann, and A. m. anatoliaca Maa. 

The African group of mtDNAs is found north and south of the Sahara and
includes A. m. capensis Eschscholtz, A. m. intermissa Maa, A. m. lamarckii
Cockerell, A. m. litorea Smith, A. m. monticola Smith, A. m. sahariensis
Baldensperger, and A. m. scutellata Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau. A. m.
iberiensis in southern Spain carries African mtDNA. 

Middle Eastern or Oriental mtDNA has been found in bees from extreme
southeastern Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel (D.R. Smith, unpublished data).

At least three, and probably all four, mitochondrial lineages have been
introduced into the New World. 

The west European linage, primarily A. m. mellifera, dominated sixteenth
through eighteenth century introductions into North and South America. 

The east European lineage, primarily A. m. ligustica, A. m. carnica, and A.
m. caucasia, dominated subsequent introductions. 

North African bees, such as Egyptian A. m. lamarckii were also introduced,
and this African mtDNA was present at low frequency in feral North American
populations prior to the arrival of the African bee from Latin America. 

From "The African Honey Bee: Factors Contributing to a Successful Biological
Invasion", by Stanley Scott Schneider, et al.

* * *

We analyzed 536 honeybees from the 54 sites [in southwestern Arizona]. 86.9%
possessed Africanized mtDNA, 4.1% had eastern European mtDNA, 5.6% had
western European mtDNA, and 3.4% had Egyptian mtDNA. 

All 54 sites had honeybees with Africanized genetic material. Mean percent
of bees with Africanized mtDNA per site was 88% and ranged from 50% (3
sites) to 100% (21 sites). Honeybees with eastern European mtDNA were found
at 16 sites, bees with western European mtDNA were found at 14 sites, and
bees with Egyptian mtDNA were found at 10 sites. 

Percent of Africanization per site was unrelated to distance from
agricultural activity. Likewise, there was no relationship between elevation
and percent Africanization.

From: "Feral Africanized Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) in Sonoran Desert
Habitats Of Southwestern Arizona" by Michael J. Rabe, et al. 

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---