Data from: Ant collective behavior is heritable and shaped by selection

Collective behaviors are widespread in nature and usually assumed to be
strongly shaped by natural selection. However, the degree to which
variation in collective behavior is heritable and has fitness consequences
-- the two prerequisites for evolution by natural selection -- is largely
unknown. We used a new pharaoh ant ( Monomorium pharaonis ) mapping
population to estimate the heritability, genetic correlations, and fitness
consequences of three collective behaviors (foraging, aggression, and
exploration) as well as body size, sex ratio, and caste ratio.
Heritability estimates for the collective behaviors were moderate, ranging
from 0.17 to 0.32, but lower than our estimates for the heritability of
caste ratio, sex ratio, and the body size of new workers, queens, and
males. Moreover, variation among colonies in collective behaviors was
phenotypically correlated, suggesting that selection may shape multiple
colony collective behaviors simultaneously. Finally, we found evidence for
directional selection that was similar in strength to estimates of
selection in natural populations. Altogether, our study begins to
elucidate the genetic architecture of collective behavior and is one of
the first studies to demonstrate that it is shaped by selection.