November 15, 2004
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmHonest Wasps
have distinctive black facial markings that correlate with their rank. Because these status symbols are relatively low cost from a biological standpoint, scientists have long wondered why there aren't more fakers--that is, low-ranking individuals masquerading as high-ranking ones--in the wild.
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have distinctive black facial markings that correlate with their rank. Because these status symbols are relatively low cost from a biological standpoint, scientists have long wondered why there aren't more fakers--that is, low-ranking individuals masquerading as high-ranking ones--in the wild. Findings detailed in the current issue of Nature indicate that lowly wasps with experimentally altered markings were targets of considerable aggression when exposed to a dominant individual, hence revealing the cost of cheating.
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