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Quantitative genetics of multivariate morphometric variation in the neotropical stingless bee, Scaptotrigona postica (Hymenoptera: Meliponinae)

José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho; Maria Izabel Barnez Pignata

Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Caixa Postal 131, 74001-970 Goiânia, GO, Brasil. Send correspondence to J.A.F.D.-F.

ABSTRACT

A quantitative genetic analysis was performed to evaluate phenotypic and genotypic multivariate patterns of morphometric variation in Scaptotrigona postica. One hundred and fifty bees, collected from 15 man-made hives, were analyzed by measuring fifteen characters. Heritabilities found ranged from 0.799 to 0.201. Genetic and phenotypic correlations matrices were highly associated, considering their matrix correlation (rs = 0.809; P < 0.01 by Mantel test) and the correspondence of varimax rotated eigenvectors of principal component analysis applied to both matrices. Also, phenotypic patterns of correlation were more associated with functional or developmental systems than genetic ones. There was, however, more overall integration in genotypic than in phenotypic components of morphometric variation. This is expected considering that most parts of the body of holometabolous insects are derived from imaginal discs, in such a way that final patterns of morphometric variation are not determined until relatively late in development. General results indicate that phenotypic patterns alone can be used to test evolutionary hypotheses in S.postica.

Keywords: quantitative genetics; multivariate; morphometric; neotropical; stingless bee; Scaptotrigona postica.

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