---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: free access
_id: '3922'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Dispersal is advantageous, but, at the same time, it implies high costs and
    risks. Due to these counteracting selection pressures, many species evolved dispersal
    polymorphisms, which, in ants, are typically restricted to the female sex (queens).
    Male polymorphism is presently only known from a few genera, such as Cardiocondyla,
    in which winged dispersing males coexist with wingless fighter males that mate
    exclusively inside their maternal nests. We studied the developmental mechanisms
    underlying these alternative male morphs and found that, first, male dimorphism
    is not genetically determined, but is induced by environmental conditions (decreasing
    temperature and density). Second, male morph is not yet fixed at the egg stage,
    but it differentiates during larval development. This flexible developmental pattern
    of male morphs allows Cardiocondyla ant colonies to react quickly to changes in
    their environment. Under good conditions, they invest exclusively in philopatric
    wingless males. But, when environmental conditions turn bad, colonies start to
    produce winged dispersal males, even though these males require a many times higher
    investment by the colony than their much smaller wingless counterparts. Cardiocondyla
    ants share this potential of optimal resource allocation with other colonial animals
    and some seed dimorphic plants.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Sylvia
  full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
  id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Cremer
  orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
- first_name: Jürgen
  full_name: Heinze, Jürgen
  last_name: Heinze
citation:
  ama: 'Cremer S, Heinze J. Stress grows wings: Environmental induction of winged
    dispersal males in Cardiocondyla ants. <i>Current Biology</i>. 2003;13(3):219-223.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5">10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5</a>'
  apa: 'Cremer, S., &#38; Heinze, J. (2003). Stress grows wings: Environmental induction
    of winged dispersal males in Cardiocondyla ants. <i>Current Biology</i>. Elsevier.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5</a>'
  chicago: 'Cremer, Sylvia, and Jürgen Heinze. “Stress Grows Wings: Environmental
    Induction of Winged Dispersal Males in Cardiocondyla Ants.” <i>Current Biology</i>.
    Elsevier, 2003. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5</a>.'
  ieee: 'S. Cremer and J. Heinze, “Stress grows wings: Environmental induction of
    winged dispersal males in Cardiocondyla ants,” <i>Current Biology</i>, vol. 13,
    no. 3. Elsevier, pp. 219–223, 2003.'
  ista: 'Cremer S, Heinze J. 2003. Stress grows wings: Environmental induction of
    winged dispersal males in Cardiocondyla ants. Current Biology. 13(3), 219–223.'
  mla: 'Cremer, Sylvia, and Jürgen Heinze. “Stress Grows Wings: Environmental Induction
    of Winged Dispersal Males in Cardiocondyla Ants.” <i>Current Biology</i>, vol.
    13, no. 3, Elsevier, 2003, pp. 219–23, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5">10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5</a>.'
  short: S. Cremer, J. Heinze, Current Biology 13 (2003) 219–223.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:05:54Z
date_published: 2003-02-04T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-05-18T09:07:29Z
day: '04'
doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5
extern: '1'
external_id:
  pmid:
  - '12573217'
intvolume: '        13'
issue: '3'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00012-5
month: '02'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 219 - 223
pmid: 1
publication: Current Biology
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier
publist_id: '2234'
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Stress grows wings: Environmental induction of winged dispersal males in Cardiocondyla
  ants'
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 13
year: '2003'
...