Worker paper wasps are known to visit neighbouring nests to help them out
Experts had been unsure why they were willing to display such apparent altruism
UK researchers studied thousands of wasps in 91 different colonies in Panama
They found that larger colonies with more wasps end up with a surplus of labour
Rather than sitting idle, the spare workers help distant relatives in nearby nests
This is beneficial in that it raises the likelihood that their shared DNA will survive
Credit: P Kennedy
[Images and video available: see notes to editors]
Wasps provide crucial support to their extended families by babysitting at neighbouring nests, according to new research by a team of biologists from the universities of Bristol, Exeter and UCL published today [15 February] in
Nature Ecology and Evolution.
The findings suggest that animals should often seek to help more distant relatives if their closest kin are less in need.
Dr Patrick Kennedy, lead author and Marie Curie research fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, said: These wasps can act like rich family members lending a hand to their second cousins. If there s not much more you can do to help your immediate family, you can turn your attention to the extended family.
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