Application of the biogenetic law to behavioral ontogeny: a test using nest architecture in paper wasps

Abstract

General principles derived from studies of morphological ontogeny are useful in ethology. Behavioral ontogeny may be interpreted from an holistic view in which a series of behaviors is treated as an ontogeny toward a larger, complex, behavioral product. If the component behaviors are defined broadly, many taxa may be compared to find general principles that are not evident when behaviors are dissected to their smallest recognizable units. Flow charts can illustrate such general ontogenetic sequences in a manner that shows what sorts of modifications have evolved from the general pattern. Certain changes may illustrate forms of ontogenetic evolution that are well known for morphological development, such as addition or embellishment of terminal ontogenetic steps, or compression of ontogeny by acceleration or deletion of early steps. The major modifications in nest construction behavior of 28 genera of paper wasps are presented to test the predictions of the biogenetic rule with respect to character polarity. Cladistic analyses of separate morphological and behavioral data sets show that polarity is accurately inferred with respect to the five major patterns of nest construction in paper wasps. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved