What advantage does the ability to generate a genetically diverse reproductive caste give a single founding A. gracilipes queen?
Answer
Maximizing persistence without needing external genetic input
In typical island colonization scenarios, invasive ant species face a bottleneck—either needing two queens to meet or relying on a single queen to reproduce clonally until inbreeding depression threatens the colony. The complex reproductive strategy of *A. gracilipes* allows a single founding queen to overcome this limitation by producing a genetically robust and diverse reproductive caste right from the start. This inherent flexibility maximizes the chances that the colony can persist and spread for decades without requiring any subsequent infusion of external genetic material.
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