HomeScientists Find the Western Honey Bee's Sweet Spot

Scientists Find the Western Honey Bee’s Sweet Spot

Published on

Scientists have long discussed the western honey bee’s origin. According to new research from York University, these popular honey-producing bees originated in Asia.

From there, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) spread across Africa and Europe on its own, resulting in seven geographically and genetically diverse evolutionary lineages that may be traced back to Western Asia.

The western honey bee is essential for agricultural pollination and honey production throughout most of the world, and it has a remarkable ability to adapt to a wide range of settings, including tropical rainforests, desert conditions, and temperate regions with freezing winters. It can be found throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia, and it was once thought to have originated in Africa.

The researchers sequenced 251 genomes from 18 subspecies of honey bees from their natural region and applied the findings to recreate the honey bee’s origin and distribution route. The genomic evidence clearly supported an Asian origin – most likely Western Asia – according to the researchers.

“As one of the world’s most important pollinators, it’s essential to know the origin of the western honey bee to understand its evolution, genetics and how it adapted as it spread,” said corresponding author Professor Amro Zayed of York University’s Faculty of Science.

The study also shows many “hot spots” in the bee genome that have helped honey bees to adapt to different environments. Despite the fact that the bee genome comprises over 12,000 genes, just 145 of these have been linked to the creation of all main honey bee lineages known today.

“Our research suggests that a core-set of genes allowed the honey bee to adapt to a diverse set of environmental conditions across its native range by regulating worker and colony behaviour,” said York University PhD student Kathleen Dogantzis of the Faculty of Science, who led the research.

As a result, Honey bees have evolved into 27 distinct subspecies.

“It’s important to understand how locally adapted subspecies and colony-level selection on worker bees, contributes to the fitness and diversity of managed colonies,” said Dogantzis.

The sequencing of these bees also resulted in the identification of two different lineages, one in Egypt and one in Madagascar.

The researchers hope that this work will finally put to rest the mystery of where the western honey bee originated, allowing future research to focus on how they evolved to diverse climates and geographic areas.

Source: Science Advances

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: Scientists Find the Western Honey Bee’s Sweet Spot

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...