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Science 12 April 2002:
Vol. 296. no. 5566, pp. 311 - 313
DOI: 10.1126/science.1070671
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The Many Selves of Social Insects

David C. Queller,* Joan E. Strassmann

Social insects show multiple levels of self identity. Most individuals are sterile workers who selflessly labor for their colony, which is often viewed as a superorganism. The superorganism protects itself with colony recognition systems based on learned odors, typically cuticular hydrocarbons. Transfer of these odors within the colony obscures separate clan identities. Residual individual interests do appear to cause conflicts within colonies over sex ratio, male production, caste, and reproductive dominance. However, genomic imprinting theory predicts that the individual's maternal and paternal genes will evolve separate infraorganismal identities, perhaps leaving virtually no coherent individual identity.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Mail Stop-170, Rice University, Post Office Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Queller{at}rice.edu

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