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October 19, 2009

Social Insects


Michael Goodisman is digging up the dirt on yellow jackets' peculiar sex lives by studying their nests, behavior, and genetic make-up. With support from the National Science Foundation, he is getting a better understanding of what drives their complex family relationships. Yellow jackets, like honey bees and fire ants, exist in a sophisticated social hierarchy. Unlike other animals that travel in packs or swim together, these social insects will literally sacrifice their own survival in support of their hives, nests and colonies.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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