Which specific species' genome sequencing provided direct insights into yellowjacket sociality genes?
*Vespula maculifrons*
Recent advancements in molecular biology have utilized genome sequencing of specific yellowjacket species to uncover the genetic underpinnings of their complex behaviors. Researchers successfully sequenced the genome of the eastern yellowjacket, identified scientifically as *Vespula maculifrons*. The data gathered from this sequencing effort serves as an invaluable resource, permitting biologists to investigate the precise genetic architecture that enables traits such as sophisticated social organization, adaptive foraging plasticity, and inherent aggression. By employing comparative genomics—contrasting the yellowjacket genome with that of solitary wasps—scientists can precisely identify genes that have been modified, duplicated, or lost over evolutionary time to facilitate the transition and success associated with group living.
