Vying for the Termite Throne

Battles between colonies are a clue to an evolutionary puzzle: Why are whole classes of termites sterile? Social insects--ants, bees, wasps and termites in particular--can have over a million sterile and/or non-reproductive workers and soldiers. This seems counterintuitive to evolutionary theory. Evolution theorist Charles Darwin himself wondered how natural selection could favor traits that reduce reproductive success among worker offspring in highly social insects. Research supported by NSF sheds light on this paradox. Learn more in this slideshow, and by visiting: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115680