Loss of pair formation predates the evolution of male-less society in termites

Asexual lineages are rare in social animals with biparental care, where successful reproduction typically requires coordinated behavior between two individuals of opposite sex. Male-less lineages of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai provide a unique opportunity to unravel how sexual reproduction can be lost in such animals. Here, we show that modification of the mate-pairing process predated the evolution of the asexual lineage. Termite colonies are typically initiated by a mating pair that searches for a nest site through a tandem courtship behavior. Our comparative analysis of tandem running in Glyptotermes termites revealed that two related species, G. fuscus and G. satsumensis, exhibited both female-leader and male-leader tandem runs. However, tandem running was rare and ephemeral in both sexual and asexual lineages of G. nakajimai. Furthermore, our comparative studies throughout termites’ diversity showed that a typical monogamous pairing was uni..., , # Data from: Loss of pair formation predates the evolution of male-less society in termites

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This provides access to the data and source code used for the manuscript: \"Loss of pair formation predates the evolution of male-less society in termites\"\
Nobuaki Mizumoto, Toshihisa Yashiro, Simon Hellemans

This study investigates the tandem running behavior of three *Glyptotermes* termite species, including *G. nakajimai* (both sexual and asexual populations), *G. fuscus*, and *G. satsumensis*. The videos were analyzed using the deep-learning posture tracking software, [SLEAP (](https://sleap.ai)v1.4.0[).](https://sleap.ai) to quantify tandem running behavior and compare it across species. Additionally, this study conducts phylogenetic comparative analyses of tandem running behavior and mating systems across the entire termite diversity. This repository includes data and the Python/R scripts.

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This repository includes tracking data, R codes t...,