<p>Scientists have sequenced the entire genomes of the Cape bees, an isolated population of honeybees living in South Africa that has evolved a strategy to reproduce without males.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden compared the genome with other populations of honeybees to find out the genetic mechanisms behind their asexual reproduction.<br /><br />Most animals reproduce sexually, which means that both males and females are required for the species to survive.<br /><br />Normally, the honeybee is no exception to this rule: the female queen bee produces new offspring by laying eggs that have been fertilised by sperm from male drones.<br /><br />However, one isolated population of honeybees living in the southern Cape of Africa has evolved a strategy to do without males.<br /><br />In the Cape bee, female worker bees are able to reproduce asexually: they lay eggs that are essentially fertilised by their own DNA, which develop into new worker bees.<br /><br />Such bees are also able to invade the nests of other bees and continue to reproduce in this fashion, eventually taking over the foreign nests, a behaviour called social parasitism.<br /><br />The explanation for this unique behaviour is unknown, however researchers have come closer to uncovering the genetic mechanisms behind it.<br /><br />The team sequenced the entire genomes of a sample of Cape bees and compared them with other populations of honeybees that reproduce normally.<br /><br />They found striking differences at several genes, which can explain both the abnormal type of egg production that leads to reproduction without males, and the unique social parasitism behaviour.<br /><br />"The question of why this population of honeybees in South Africa has evolved to reproduce asexually is still a mystery. But understanding the genes involved brings us closer to understanding it," said Matthew Webster, researcher at Uppsala University.<br /><br />"This study will help us to understand how genes control biological processes like cell division and behaviour," Webster said.<br /><br />"Furthermore understanding why populations sometimes reproduce asexually may help us to understand the evolutionary advantage of sex, which is a major conundrum for evolutionary biologists," he added. <br /><br /></p>
<p>Scientists have sequenced the entire genomes of the Cape bees, an isolated population of honeybees living in South Africa that has evolved a strategy to reproduce without males.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden compared the genome with other populations of honeybees to find out the genetic mechanisms behind their asexual reproduction.<br /><br />Most animals reproduce sexually, which means that both males and females are required for the species to survive.<br /><br />Normally, the honeybee is no exception to this rule: the female queen bee produces new offspring by laying eggs that have been fertilised by sperm from male drones.<br /><br />However, one isolated population of honeybees living in the southern Cape of Africa has evolved a strategy to do without males.<br /><br />In the Cape bee, female worker bees are able to reproduce asexually: they lay eggs that are essentially fertilised by their own DNA, which develop into new worker bees.<br /><br />Such bees are also able to invade the nests of other bees and continue to reproduce in this fashion, eventually taking over the foreign nests, a behaviour called social parasitism.<br /><br />The explanation for this unique behaviour is unknown, however researchers have come closer to uncovering the genetic mechanisms behind it.<br /><br />The team sequenced the entire genomes of a sample of Cape bees and compared them with other populations of honeybees that reproduce normally.<br /><br />They found striking differences at several genes, which can explain both the abnormal type of egg production that leads to reproduction without males, and the unique social parasitism behaviour.<br /><br />"The question of why this population of honeybees in South Africa has evolved to reproduce asexually is still a mystery. But understanding the genes involved brings us closer to understanding it," said Matthew Webster, researcher at Uppsala University.<br /><br />"This study will help us to understand how genes control biological processes like cell division and behaviour," Webster said.<br /><br />"Furthermore understanding why populations sometimes reproduce asexually may help us to understand the evolutionary advantage of sex, which is a major conundrum for evolutionary biologists," he added. <br /><br /></p>