Bee aware

Every so often, whether by design or random chance*, a number of research items get released on or about the same topic. Today's topic is bees.

First off, an amberised fossil bee that shows similarities with wasps (thereby confirming a prediction made by phylogenetic classifications) has been found. It is 100 million years old.

Second, the honeybee genome has been fully sequenced. From this it is concluded that bees evolved in Africa, and like a certain group of hominids, have moved out of Africa into other continents several times. The genetic differences between "Africanised" bees and European commercial bees can now be investigated.

Third, it appears that bees have a much better sense of smell than their mosquito and fruit fly distant cousins, but a much worse sense of taste. And a novel gene for nuclear receptors, that regulate development, has been found also.

And finally it turns out that bees have a "genetic clock" that regulates circadian rhythms that is more closely similar to the ones in mammals than related insects.

See also A Blog Around the Clock for details as they come in - circadian rhythms are Bora's thing.

Late note: Carl Zimmer also has a post on the honeybee genome.

*As opposed to nonrandom chance...