A comparative perspective on the ecology of morphological diversification in complex societies: nesting ecology and soldier evolution in the turtle ants

This work uses a comparative framework to address the adaptive evolutionary relationship between nesting ecology and the morphological diversification of the soldier caste in turtle ants (Cephalotes). Turtle ant colonies nest in pre-existing arboreal cavities, and soldiers specialize in colony defense by blocking cavity entrances with their armored heads. Analyses were focused on three major axes of soldier morphological diversification:...