Blurred boundaries between society and individuality: using immunity to understand a major evolutionary transition
- A fundamental yet seemingly contradictory aspect of biological individuals is their capacity to remain the same while changing through time. This self-regulatory ability is facilitated by a number of factors that are shared by all complex multicellular life-forms. One such essential trait is an effective immune system. Here, I use concepts of individuality and immunity to explore the blurred line between society and individual in termite “superorganisms”. I discuss our current understanding of the breadth and mechanistic underpinnings of collective immunity in termites, before going on to explore the evolution of the immune system during the transition from a cockroach-like ancestor to a fully-fledged termite society. I end by discussing the possibly crucial role played by immunity during the emergence of eusociality, and in transitions in organismal complexity generally.
Autor*innen: | Dino Peter McMahon |
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Dokumenttyp: | Vortrag |
Veröffentlichungsform: | Präsentation |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2017 |
DDC-Klassifikation: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Sanitär- und Kommunaltechnik; Umwelttechnik |
Freie Schlagwörter: | Evolution; Immunity; Social; Termite |
Veranstaltung: | BIO-Seminar, University of Copenhagen |
Veranstaltungsort: | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Beginndatum der Veranstaltung: | 27.02.2018 |
Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access") |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 21.02.2018 |
Referierte Publikation: | Nein |
Eingeladener Vortrag: | Nein |