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PubMed2025

Ancestral complexity and constrained diversification of the ant olfactory system.

Communication is a cornerstone of social living, allowing the exchange of information to align goals and synchronize behaviour. Ants, a group of highly successful social insects, have heightened olfactory abilities that are integral to their evolutionary success. Essential for colony cohesion and cooperation, a female-specific olfactory subsystem processes information about nestmate recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons), including basiconic sensilla on the antenna and a cluster of specific glomeruli in the antennal lobe. While it has often been linked to ants' social lifestyle, the evolutionary origins and phylogenetic distribution of this system remain unknown. We conducted a comparative exploration of the ant olfactory system across eight major subfamilies, integrating neuroanatomical, chemical and behavioural analyses. Our findings reveal that sophistication of the ant olfactory system has deep evolutionary roots. Moreover, antennal lobe investment is not associated with social traits such as colony size, polygyny or foraging strategies, but correlates with cuticular hydrocarbon profile complexity. Despite neuroanatomical differences, different ant species consistently excel in nestmate discrimination, indicating adaptation to chemical diversity while maintaining reliable social recognition. This suggests that cuticular hydrocarbon profile and neuronal investment in olfactory neuropil have co-evolved to sustain discrimination performance.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Reputation and the evolution of cooperation in sizable groups.

The evolution of cooperation in social dilemmas has been of considerable concern in various fields such as sociobiology, economics and sociology. It might be that, in the real world, reputation plays an important role in the evolution of cooperation. Recently, studies that have addressed indirect reciprocity have revealed that cooperation can evolve through reputation, even though pairs of individuals interact only a few times. To our knowledge, most indirect reciprocity models have presumed dyadic interaction; no studies have attempted analysis of the evolution of cooperation in large communities where the effect of reputation is included. We investigate the evolution of cooperation in sizable groups in which the reputation of individuals affects the decision-making process. This paper presents the following: (i) cooperation can evolve in a four-person case, (ii) the evolution of cooperation becomes difficult as group size increases, even if the effect of reputation is included, and (iii) three kinds of final social states exist. In medium-sized communities, cooperative species can coexist in a stable manner with betrayal species.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1996

Mating structure and nestmate relatedness in a communal bee, Andrena jacobi (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae), using microsatellites.

Complex eusocial insect societies are generally matrifilial, suggesting kin selection has been of importance in their development. For simpler social systems, factors favouring their existence, in particular kin selection, have rarely been studied. Communal nesting is one of these simple social organizations, and is found in a diversity of insect species. To examine whether kin selection may play a role in the evolution and maintenance of communality, we estimated genetic relatedness of nestmate females of the facultatively communal bee, Andrena jacobi. Microsatellite loci were developed for this species and used to analyse individuals from two populations. Loci were variable, they were in heterozygote deficit and showed positive inbreeding coefficients. This may arise from nonrandom mating; previous observations (Paxton & Tengö 1996) indicate that a large proportion of females mate intranidally with nestmate males in their natal nests before first emerging. Nestmate relatedness was low, no different from zero for all loci in one population and for three of four loci in the other population. The large number of nestmates sharing a common nest (up to 594) may explain the low relatedness estimates, although relatedness was also independent of the number of females sharing a nest. Lack of inclusive fitness payoffs could constrain social evolution in this communal species.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

[Role of boundary neuro-psychical pathologies in the development of disruptive behavior in adolescents].

Behavioural disorders in youths represent a very serious social problem and create discomfort both for the society and for adolescents themselves. This problem became very actual in adolescents because of identity crisis incident in this age. Boundary neuro-psychical pathologies seem to play a serious role as a cause of forming deviations of behaviour. Burden of these pathologies is rather high in both of groups examined by us (delinquent adolescent and adolescent with school disadaptation ) -- 49-50%, but structure and severity of these pathologies are very different: in the population of delinquent adolescents there are more severe pathologies such as residual cerebral-organic dysfunction, signs of personal anomaly with symptoms of excitability, retardation of psychical evolution with marked cognitive deficiency, whereas in adolescent with school disadaptation prevail personality disorders, phenomena of pathological puberty crisis and retardation of psycho-social evolution.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1977

How does selection reconcile individual advantage with the good of the group?

An individual's advantage often conflicts with the good of its group, as when an allele spreads by meiotic drive through a population whose death rate it increases, or when an asexual genotype derives immediate advantage at the expense of future adaptability. We show how selection within populations may reconcile individual and group advantage, as in the evolution of "honest meioses" resistant to segregation distortion, and the avoidance of the "cost of sex." Selection between species, whose evolutionary importance we document, presumably favors the survival and multiplication of species whose genetic systems or social organizations favor the evolution of mechanisms reconciling individual with group advantage: in other words, species with genetic or social systems where a gene's long-term selective advantage most nearly matches its contribution to the good of the species.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Learned social preference in zebrafish.

How social aggregations arise and persist is central to our understanding of evolution, behavior, and psychology. When social groups arise within a species, evolutionary divergence and speciation can result. To understand this diversifying role of social behavior, we must examine the internal and external influences that lead to nonrandom assortment of phenotypes. Many fishes form aggregations called shoals that reduce predation risk while enhancing foraging and reproductive success. Thus, shoaling is adaptive, and signals that maintain shoals are likely to evolve under selection. Given the diversity of pigment patterns among Danio fishes, visual signals might be especially important in mediating social behaviors in this group. Our understanding of pigment pattern development in the zebrafish D. rerio allows integrative analyses of how molecular variation leads to morphological variation among individuals and how morphological variation influences social interactions. Here, we use the zebrafish pigment mutant nacre/mitfa to test roles for genetic and environmental determinants in the development of shoaling preference. We demonstrate that individuals discriminate between shoals having different pigment pattern phenotypes and that early experience determines shoaling preference. These results suggest a role for social learning in pigment pattern diversification in danios.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed2003

[Migrant workers: evolution of the Israel health system approach to the new social issue].

The immigration of workers from poor countries to Israel began in earnest in 1993, and by 2003 their number had reached 250,000, the majority without work permits. In this article we describe the evolution of the Israeli approach to providing health services to migrant workers, noting particularly the swings between exclusion and inclusion, ranging from providing only the most minimal services to providing a complete health services package. The National Insurance Institute was the first to provide benefits to documented migrant workers, mandating compensation benefits for those injured at work or in terrorist incidents. The health care sector provided an ever-increasing package of health benefits for documented migrant workers, culminating in the Foreign Workers Law of 2000 obligating employers to insure workers with a health package similar to that of Israeli citizens. The provision of health services to undocumented migrant workers and their families arose more gradually, but ultimately included the full range of mother and child preventive health services, school health services, provision of ambulatory medical care by volunteer physicians members of human rights organization, the possibility of enrolling their children at a reduced premium in Meuchedet Health Fund, free diagnostic and treatment services for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, free antiretroviral treatment of HIV-positive pregnant women, and, finally, the ability to obtain gas masks for a token deposit prior to the Iraq War of 2003

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed2006

Evolution of brain size and juvenile periods in primates.

This paper assesses selective pressures that shaped primate life histories, with particular attention to the evolution of longer juvenile periods and increased brain sizes. We evaluate the effects of social complexity (as indexed by group size) and foraging complexity (as indexed by percent fruit and seeds in the diet) on the length of the juvenile period, brain size, and brain ratios (neocortex and executive brain ratios) while controlling for positive covariance among body size, life span, and home range. Results support strong components of diet, life span, and population density acting on juvenile periods and of home range acting on relative brain sizes. Social-complexity arguments for the evolution of primate intelligence are compelling given strong positive correlations between brain ratios and group size while controlling for potential confounding variables. We conclude that both social and ecological components acting at variable intensities in different primate clades are important for understanding variation in primate life histories.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Sport, physical activity and social exclusion.

This paper is a brief review of the concept of social exclusion and its evolution. I address which individuals are excluded from sport and physical activity and how; link inclusion policies to the 'cross-cutting issues' and the idea of social capital; and outline the intervention policies being adopted in the new sport strategy 'Game Plan' (). I address the link between transport, exercise and health in a case study. Since these policies are new, research and evaluation has been short term and scattered, and outcome measurements have not yet received academic or professional consensus, it is too soon to say for sure what works or even to confirm what is best practice.

Europe↗
PubMed1975

Individual odor differences and their social functions in insects.

The evolution of individual or subgroup differences in odors of halictine bees is suggested from possible widespread intraspecific variation in pheromones. An important result of such variation may be maintenance of genetic polymorphisms; in nesting Hymenoptera odor differences may also facilitate individual nest recognition. In Lasioglosum zephyrum males habituate to odors of different females and perhaps thus save time by not trying to copulate with nonreceptive individuals. Guards (females) at nest entrances distinguish their few nestmates (other females) from other conspecific individuals by odors, seemingly pheromones. Duration of the habituation in L. zephyrum is at least an hour (perhaps much more) for males in relation to females and 6 or 7 days for guards in relation to nestmates. Studies of pheromones should take into consideration the possibility of pheromonal polymorphism in any species and the likelihood that it may be significant from biological and practical viewpoints.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Sociocultural aspects of eating disorders.

Eating disorders, though recognized for centuries, are increasing in prevalence. The increase in rate is particularly remarkable over the last 30-40 years. The article considers how social function stems from biological function and evolution, and how biological function may hamper social development to the detriment of individuals. Social and cultural influences relevant to this change are examined, especially the changing position of women within society as a whole and the multiplication of conflicting roles which women find themselves balancing. Reference is made to the representation of women in the arts and media. Reference is also made to the role of those external agencies which have historically controlled populations (both men and women), such as religious bodies and governments, but which to some extent have been rejected. Evidence from in-depth studies of women with eating disorders and from transcultural studies are included to support the authors' ideas.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Ecological and ethical issues related to the protection of population reproductive health].

The legal and ethical issues related with the protection of population reproductive health, under the conditions of anthropogenic contamination of the environment, including the labor environment, are discussed in the article. A concept of pregnancy planning to ensure a healthy posterity under the mentioned conditioned was formulated. Documents of WHO, ILO and the EU experience in dealing with the issues in question are illustrated. An increasing role of social labor measurement as well as the evolution of law, i.e. civil, labor, and social law, as well as the right to unified medical-and-social insurance, are in the focus of attention. The prospects for a new WHO-ICF classification, as a social UNO classification, are pointed out. The sensitivity--susceptibility--vulnerability chain was analyzed, and a growing social context was underlined in it. The individual and team risks were considered, and the Code of professional ethics of hygienists was paid attention to.

Environment↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of environmental conditions on the expression of the sexual dispersal phenotype in a lower termite: implications for the evolution of workers in termites.

Phenotypic plasticity is thought to be of prime importance for the evolution of castes in social insects. However, conclusions are generally drawn from holometabolous social Hymenoptera, whereas little is known about the hemimetabolous termites. We investigated the influence of environmental conditions on the expression of the alternative phenotypes, worker versus dispersing sexual, in the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. Season played a fundamental role in this regulatory process by setting developmental deadlines. Individuals failing to reach these deadlines developed back to workers, whereas those in time progressed to dispersing sexuals. This seasonal regulation was superposed by the influence of food availability in the nest that adjusted the number of remaining workers versus dispersing sexuals. In line with declining benefits at the natal nest, there were more dispersing sexuals when the food was reduced. Provided that the life type of C. secundus reflects the ancestral state in termite evolution, as is often assumed, our results support the hypothesis that termite workers originated from individuals failing in sexual development. Furthermore, a taxonomical comparison between termite species with different life-styles stresses the importance of a predictable variation in food availability for the existence of a plastic development and the occurrence of conditionally expressed phenotypes in termites. Compared with social Hymenoptera, the mechanisms involved in caste polyphenism in termites differed considerably, which demands more differentiated discussions about social insects caste polyphenism.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

Doctor-patient relationships in global society. Informed consent in dentistry.

The concept for initiation of treatment only after the explicit consent of the patient, based on preliminary information, is the most important element determining the relationship between patient and doctor nowadays. The application of this concept in dentistry and its inclusion in the professional documents regulating these relationships needs more comprehensive and modern conditions-relevant analysis of ethical, legal and professional aspects of the problem. The purpose of the study was to define the modern view of informed consent and its application in dentistry in different social environment. The general and specific features of the evolution of the problem and the social practice in Bulgaria, The European Community and Northern America are discussed in the context of the global tendency for free movement of patients and mutual recognition of professional qualification. The results suggest that despite the different degree of social and economical development in different countries the interest in the problem grows significantly and harmonization of legislation for health protection is based on the new social decree in the construction of doctor-patient relationships. It is expected that the comparative studies in this field will promote the improvement of dentists' training and improvement of scientific and expert exchange in solving problems of patents' rights and professional ethics.

Dentist-Patient Relations↗
PubMed2005

[Social institutions and tempering of affects as "contraints" of social change. Norbert Elias' theory on the civilization theory in light of the biologic system theory of evolution].

This study is to be regarded as a contribution to interdisciplinary research and represents an attempt to clarify the question of whether and to what extent concepts that have been developed in the field of theoretical biology and which have a high degree of importance here can also be applied to sociological phenomena. In particular it is intended to examine the question of whether the civilizing process can be adequately treated using the evolutionary concept of "Constraints". This term, which has only recently been introduced into the discussion by PERE ALBERCH as an evolutionary factor, comprises all of the internal factors which influence the further course of the evolution of a system by ruling out certain possibilities, thus showing a limiting effect. Although "Constraints" go beyond the scope of Darwinian teachings about selection by the environment, they are increasingly accepted today as evolution factors by well-known exponents of Darwinian theory (cf. MAYNARD-SMITH 1985). The increase in popularity of "constraints" is also an expression of the rediscovery of a phenomenon which was originally expressed by RUPERT RIEDL and was introduced by him into German literature in the seventies. In the clarification of this question, special reference is made to the "theory of the civilizing process" by NORBERT ELIAS, since here a highly respected scholar has presented an important sociological theory. Moreover, there is such good scientific access to ELIAS because this author exemplifies his theses in historical terms and thus to a certain extent makes his explanations verifiable in scientific terms. In the treatment of this topic, the central terms and theses of ELIAS will be presented from the considerable scope of his work, and then illustrated with the help of several selected historical case studies. Furthermore, reference will be made at the relevant points to parallels and analogies which the works of ELIAS have to other, predominantly system-theoretical concepts of evolution and which cause it to appear compatible to the latter.

Civilization↗