SOCIAL INSECTS AND SOCIAL AMEBAS

The evolution of social groupings in insects, especially wasps, is com pared to that of social amoebae (cellular slime moulds). They both sho w a gamut of colony sizes, from solitary forms to complex colonies wit h a division of labour. The various ideas as to how there might have b een an evolution of complexity within insect societies, such as the ro le of genetic relatedness, the role of mutualism, the origin of steril ity, the manipulation and exploitation of some individuals by others w ithin a colony, are discussed, and then applied to social amoebae. The result is both interesting and instructive: despite some differences, there are many striking parallels, which suggests that there are some common denominators in the formation and evolution of a social existe nce among organisms.