Developmental plasticity and the origin of novel communication systems: Individual recognition in Polistes wasps*

Abstract

Although developmental plasticity facilitates the evolutionary origin of many traits, the role of plasticity in the origin of novel communication systems has received little attention. If plasticity mediates the origin of new communication systems, exposure to a novel environment will induce new traits that could function as signals or receiver responses. Here, we test whether plasticity facilitates the origin of individual recognition. We reared a species of paper wasp that naturally lacks individual recognition (Polistes metricus) with a relative that has facial patterns that signal individual identity (Polistes fuscatus). We found P. metricus reared with individual identity signals learned unique wasp faces significantly more accurately than P. metricus reared without individual identity signals. However, exposure to individual identity signals was not sufficient to induce individual recognition in social contexts. These results suggest that if variable facial patterns arose in P. metricus, wasps would immediately improve their ability learn variable facial patterns, thereby facilitating the origin of individual face recognition. Improved learning is an initial step toward individual recognition that would need to be refined by selection to produce an established signaling system. Developmental plasticity may be an underappreciated factor facilitating the evolutionary origin of novel recognition systems.

Recognising the key role of individual recognition in social networks

“…Particularly relevant to the social domain is individual recognition (see Glossary): the ability to remember and recognise individuals [1]. Individual recognition abilities have been studied widely, in amphibians, birds, cephalopods, crustaceans, fish, insects, mammals, and reptiles [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Further, individual recognition can occur in many sensory domains within species; zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) can recognise conspecifics not only through vision [10] but also through their song [11] and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) can identify individuals from other troops using the scent of their urine [12].…”

Digest: Early exposure to facial cues facilitates facial learning in paper wasps*

“…By studying individual facial recognition in paper wasps, Tibbetts et al. () show that in Polistes metricus , a species that lacks individual recognition, early experience with wasps presenting individually distinct facial patterns promotes the development of facial learning capacities in workers.…”

“…Schematic diagram of the experimental protocol used by Tibbetts et al. () to evaluate the influence of the rearing environment on the facial learning capacity of P. metricus . First, newly eclosed P. metricus were reared with either nestmate P. metricus , non‐nestmate P. metricus or P. fuscatus individuals.…”

“…By exposing individuals of one species to the cues present in individuals of a closely related species during a particular life‐stage period, Tibbetts et al. () shed light on a mechanism that may facilitate the evolution of an individual recognition system in paper wasps. Experiments on túngara frogs (genus Engystomops ) have employed an equivalent approach to study female preferences for male acoustic signals.…”

“…The role of developmental plasticity in the development of novel animal communication systems has not been sufficiently investigated, and the study by Tibbetts et al. () provides valuable insights on the influence of ontogenetic experience on the evolution of an individual recognition system in animals. As shown by the studies on frog acoustic communication and wasp individual recognition, behavioral investigation within a comparative framework has the potential to reveal general mechanisms underlying the origin and establishment of traits involved in animal communicative interactions.…”