Data from: The complexity of social complexity: a quantitative multidimensional approach for studies on social organisation
Authors/Creators
- 1. University of Edinburgh
- 2. Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Description
The rapid increase in "big data" of the post-genomic era makes it crucial to appropriately measure the level of social complexity in comparative studies. We argue that commonly-used qualitative classifications lump together species showing a broad range of social complexity, and falsely imply that social evolution always progresses along a single linear stepwise trajectory that can be deduced from comparing extant species. To illustrate this point, we compared widely-used social complexity measures in "primitively eusocial" bumble bees with "advanced eusocial" stingless bees, honey bees, and attine ants. We find that a single species can have both higher and lower levels of complexity compared to other taxa, depending on the social trait measured. We propose that measuring the complexity of individual social traits switches focus from semantic discussions and offers several directions for progress. Firstly, quantitative social traits can be correlated with molecular, developmental, and physiological processes within and across lineages of social animals. This approach is particularly promising for identifying processes that influence or have been affected by social evolution. Secondly, key social complexity traits can be combined into multidimensional lineage-specific quantitative indices enabling fine scale comparison across species that are currently bundled within the same level of social complexity.
Notes
(Copied from readme file):
Data for Holland & Bloch 2020; The complexity of social complexity: a quantitative multidimensional approach for studies on social organisation (American Naturalist)
Readme file
WWdata
Worker size variation data. Further details in ms.
HeadWidth.mean, ThoraxWidth.mean, Mcell.mean, WingLength.mean = Mean sizes (mm) of workers taken for either head width, thorax width, wing marginal cell length, or wing length. NAs indicate unmeasured indicies, or values not given.
CV = coefficient of variation for the size index measured (100 x (sd/mean)).
Source = source of data. Gruter2017 = doi: 10.1038/s41467-016-0012-y; Waddington1986 = Waddington KD, Herbst LH, Roubik DW, 1986. Relationship between Recruitment Systems of Stingless Bees and Within-Nest Worker Size Variation. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 59:95-102; FergusonGow2014 = doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1411; Couvillon1949 = data from Jenny Jandt, relating to study in doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2010.01198.x; Cumber1949 = doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1949.tb01420.x.; Goulson2002 = doi: 10.1006/anbe.2002.3041; Holland2020 = doi: 10.1101/2020.05.06.079525; combination = taking a mean value from the three Bombus terrestris studies, weighted by sample size (Cumber, n = 139, Goulson, n = 4494, Holland, n = 1832); Roulston2000 = Roulston TaH, Cane JH, 2000. The Effect of Diet Breadth and Nesting Ecology on Body Size Variation in Bees (Apiformes). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 73:129-142.
QWdata
Worker-worker size difference data. Further details in ms.
QWratio = queen mean size / worker mean size.
Source = FergusonGow2014 = doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1411; Cumber1949 = doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1949.tb01420.x.; MediciBloch = Igor Medici De Mattos & Guy Bloch, unpublished data; combination = taking a mean value from the two Bombus terrestris studies, weighted by sample size (MediciBloch = 460, Cumber, n = 178); Toth2004 = doi: 10.1007/s00040-003-0707-z; DeGrandiHoffman2004 = 10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097[1299:doaiba]2.0.co;2.
quantData
Data from five social traits in six species. Further details, and data sources, in ms.
value = value of metric specified in metric column
metric = Qwsize, queen mean size / worker mean size (i.e. QWratio); PcntMales, the proportion of adult males which are queen-produced rather than worker-produced in queenright colonies (i.e. reproductive skew); wCoV, coefficient of variation in worker size; ColSize, number of workers at peak colony size; Longevity, best estimate of lifespan in colonies surviving foundation.
scaledValue = value of the metric when rescaled across values for that metric from all six species, such that lowest value is 0 and highest value is 1.
AntScaledValue = value of the metric when rescaled across values for that metric from both ant species, such that lowest value is 0 and highest value is 1. Used to calculate combined index for ants.
BeeScaledValue = value of the metric when rescaled across values for that metric from all four bee species, such that lowest value is 0 and highest value is 1. Used to calculate combined index for bees.
Cumber female sizes
Data entered from Cumber 1949 (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1949.tb01420.x.;). Added here for convenience, since data in the original publication was presented in printed tables only. Further details in ms.
Funding provided by: BARD
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001269
Award Number: IS-4418-11
Funding provided by: Lady Davis Fellowship Trust, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001737
Award Number:
Funding provided by: United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001742
Award Number:
Funding provided by: BARD
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001269
Award Number: IS-5077-18
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Cumber_female_sizes.csv
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Additional details
Related works
- Is cited by
- 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1949.tb01420.x (DOI)