October 2011 PMID 21695157

The antiquity and evolutionary history of social behavior in bees.

Sophie Cardinal, Bryan N Danforth

Mentions

8
Peak: 5 in Feb 2025
across 2 sources since Jul 2018

Extended reach

44,013
potential audience

Total likes

673

Video views

38,363

Mentions per month

Jul 2018 – Feb 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter6 posts
  • YouTube2 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions reflect a moderate interest and engagement, with tweets highlighting the social lives of bees and questioning evolutionary assumptions, as seen in remarks like 'why? well sometimes it's better to bee alone' and queries about the ancestral behaviors of bees. The tone combines curiosity and skepticism, encouraging exploration of evolutionary concepts without asserting strong opinions.

AgreementNeither agree nor disagree

Discussions question some assumptions about bee evolution but do not strongly oppose the article's findings, leading to a neutral score.

InterestModerate interest

The comments show curiosity about the social behavior of bees and related topics, indicating a moderate level of interest.

EngagementModerate engagement

Comments raise questions and provide thoughtful reflections on evolution, suggesting a basic but genuine engagement.

ImpactNeutral impact

While the discussions deepen understanding, they do not appear to shift opinions or have widespread influence beyond academic curiosity.

Abstract in brief

  • The study investigates whether highly eusocial behavior in bees evolved once or twice, concluding that eusociality likely evolved once in the common ancestor of corbiculate bees, then independently advanced in honey and stingless bees, while being lost in orchid bees.
  • Using molecular phylogeny and fossil calibration, it was determined that eusociality first appeared around 87 million years ago, making it much older than in other bee groups with simpler social structures.
  • These findings provide a new evolutionary framework for understanding the development and genetic basis of social behavior in bees like honey bees and their relatives.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
bioZone
@thebiozone · X

Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why? Well sometimes it's better to bee alone. Find out more here: https://t.co/qSqgMtgRN0 https://t.co/HkTm6RuS0B

Feb 14, 2025 · 8 likes · 3 shares · 186 followers View post →
#TheSpiderHunter - Black History Is Important!
@Arthur59611540 · X

Wasp Evolution https://t.co/Qm8uyVF8OF via @YouTube

Aug 30, 2020 · 4,119 followers View post →
April
@sciApril · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 618 followers View post →
Aaron Mboma
@mboma_aaron · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 392 followers View post →
Malaika
@Maliqa_M · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 263 followers View post →
Tim Pieper
@TimPieper7 · X

@MarceaMjo @StBenedict18 @TakeThatEpi @RBartleby @054durin @dunstan99 @ForumAtheist @jemix08 Why do you assume the ancestors of modern bees would necessarily have the same symbiotic relationships, when different species can evolve to work together rather than needing eachother from the start. Flowers and wasp evolution: https://t.co/5cSEVO1fhI https://t.co/tSK9ZSBymy

Mar 26, 2020 · 49 followers View post →

All mentions

Evolutionary Origins of Eusocial Behavior in Bees

This study explores whether highly eusocial behavior in bees evolved once or multiple times, concluding it likely originated around 87 million years ago in ancestral bees, shaping social evolution in honey and stingless…

bioZone · Feb 14, 2025 1,437 views
Aaron Mboma
@mboma_aaron · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 392 followers View post →
Malaika
@Maliqa_M · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 263 followers View post →
April
@sciApril · X

RT @thebiozone: Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why?…

Feb 14, 2025 · 3 shares · 618 followers View post →
bioZone
@thebiozone · X

Alone this valentines day? Well you're not the only one! Most species of bees are not social and actually live alone- why? Well sometimes it's better to bee alone. Find out more here: https://t.co/qSqgMtgRN0 https://t.co/HkTm6RuS0B

Feb 14, 2025 · 8 likes · 3 shares · 186 followers View post →
#TheSpiderHunter - Black History Is Important!
@Arthur59611540 · X

Wasp Evolution https://t.co/Qm8uyVF8OF via @YouTube

Aug 30, 2020 · 4,119 followers View post →
Tim Pieper
@TimPieper7 · X

@MarceaMjo @StBenedict18 @TakeThatEpi @RBartleby @054durin @dunstan99 @ForumAtheist @jemix08 Why do you assume the ancestors of modern bees would necessarily have the same symbiotic relationships, when different species can evolve to work together rather than needing eachother from the start. Flowers and wasp evolution: https://t.co/5cSEVO1fhI https://t.co/tSK9ZSBymy

Mar 26, 2020 · 49 followers View post →