How pheromones regulate family life: Chemical communication in burying beetle families

• Applicants: Dr. Matthias Schott; Professorin Dr. Sandra Steiger; Privatdozent Dr. Johannes Stökl; Dr. Heiko Vogel
• Subject Area: Sensory and Behavioural Biology ; Evolution, Anthropology
• Term: since 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 226182846

Social life comes in many forms and facets. An essential social core unit is the family, the association of one or two parents with their offspring. Temporary family living is widespread across the animal kingdom, occurring not only in vertebrates but also a wide range of invertebrates. The evolution of family life leads to novel social environments where interactions between parents, siblings, and offspring occur. Especially the evolution of communication processes has been considered to be essential for the integrity of the family unit and the coordination of interactions among family members. Despite chemical communication being prevalent among animals, our understanding of the evolution of social pheromones and the involved sensory systems within a family context remains very limited. The contrast between the extensive research available in eusocial insects and the limited knowledge about chemical communication in “subsocial“ species is remarkable. To address this gap in knowledge, our proposed project aims to elucidate the mechanisms, functions, and evolution of chemical communication within a family context and to unravel how familial interactions influence pheromone release, using carrion beetles, including burying beetles, as model system. We will first of all test the link between the evolution of family living and communicative complexity using antennal sensilla density and cuticular lipid profiles as proxies. Furthermore, we will use a previously identified social core pheromone of burying beetles, emitted by both adults and larvae (i.e., methyl geranate), to investigate its perception, site of production, genetic underpinnings, socially induced modulation, and its fitness effect on family members. Our project thereby combines a range of methods, including scanning electron microscopy, single sensillum recordings, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and tissue specific RNAseq. The expected results can not only bring us closer to understanding chemical communication in the context of family living but also complement and enhance our general understanding of the evolution of signalling processes of social animals.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants