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The genetic control and consequences of kin recognition by the larvae of a colonial marine invertebrate

Nature volume 322, pages 456–459 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

The evolution of altruism, cooperation and sociality should be favoured by mechanisms promoting interactions among relatives1,2. In turn, the opportunity for such interactions should be enhanced where related individuals are spatially associated. The simplest explanation for association of kin invokes philopatric, or limited, dispersal3. Alternatively, kin recognition—which is known from a broad array of taxa4,5—can produce similar associations. Neither the prevalence of kin recognition, nor aggregations of kin, are by themselves sufficient to demonstrate that kin recognition plays an important role in the production of nonrandom associations of relatives. To have such a role, kin recognition must promote or inhibit associations of kin beyond the effects of other processes, notably dispersal, that modify spatial patterns. Here we report the results of field experiments showing that sibling planktonic larvae of the sessile colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri settle in aggregations that are much stronger than expected from dispersal distance effects alone. Laboratory experiments indicate that larvae distinguish kin on the basis of shared alleles at a highly polymorphic histocompatibility locus known to regulate fusion between adult colonies. This kin recognition mechanism, along with limited dispersal of larvae, promotes co-settlement of histocompatible individuals. Consequently, the probability of fusion between adult colonies is far greater than that expected if larvae settled randomly

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    Richard K. Grosberg

  2. Division of Environmental Studies, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    James F. Quinn

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  1. Richard K. Grosberg
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  2. James F. Quinn
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Grosberg, R., Quinn, J. The genetic control and consequences of kin recognition by the larvae of a colonial marine invertebrate. Nature 322, 456–459 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322456a0

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