Characterizing genetic variation and the evolution of colony defense in Puerto Rican honey bees

Honey bees in Puerto Rico are the combination of genetically distinct lineages that represent, in a microcosm, the admixture of mainland honey bee populations. Shaped by environmental factors, this population has successfully adapted in a complex tropical environment and thrives even in the presence of key honey bee pathogenic and parasitic threats. One of the most notable changes in the population is the reduced intensity of its colony defense response, a sacrifice that seems to enhance their ability to thrive in its oceanic island environment. This remarkable change arose rapidly within the population through a soft selective sweep of multiple adaptive haplotypes directly influencing colony- rather than individual-level behaviors. The study of this unique population has provided insight into the evolution group-level traits and their relationship with genetic variation of component individuals, while also resulting in actionable genomic regions to be further developed.