Honeybees originated in Africa

A worldwide analysis of honeybees conducted by US researchers has revealed that they first originated in Africa, and not in Asia. Neil Tsutsui, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California, Irvine, said after originating in Africa, honeybees spread into Europe and Asia, creating two distinct genetic lineages, one of which includes the widely cultivated Italian bee, a subspecies used extensively for agricultural pollination.

Reporting their findings in the journal Science, the researchers said their study was based on genetic markers identified in the sequencing of honeybee genome.

“The sequencing of the honeybee genome, as well as our findings about the species’ origin and spread, could have considerable applied applications,” said Tsutsui.

“We need to understand the bees, where they came from, and what is happening to them today to ensure they continue their vital work of pollination, which is so crucial to the world’s economy,” he said.

The researchers also discovered that the introduction of Africanised (“killer”) bees into South America in the 1950s affected the genomes of pre-existing honeybees in unusual ways.

They said the genes originated from some subspecies, were replaced by African genes, while those derived from other subspecies were more resistant to the replacement.

Tsutsui feels that the discovery of this fact is important because it can be used to compare markers between Africanised and non-Africanised bees, which would help identify those genes that lend “killer” bees their aggressive characteristics.

The study has been funded by the University of Illinois, the US Department of Agriculture, and the California Department of Consumer Affairs. — ANI

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