Jacobus J. Boomsma

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Current research

I am interested in the biology of cooperation and conflict to understand adaptive design by natural selection, particularly when social interactions make it ambiguous what optimal design might be. An explicit “gene’s-eye” focus on the social insects has allowed me to unravel deep-seated potential conflicts between the sexes, between castes, and between hosts and mutualistic symbionts, and to address questions about the origins of major evolutionary transitions in organizational complexity. I have done fieldwork on fungus-growing ants for 25 years, hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and initiated other field-based research programs on a variety of social insects and their mutualists or parasites in Denmark, Europe, Africa and SE Asia – this research normally used molecular methods to confront questions emanating from kin-selection theory and natural history.  In recent years, I also used Danish public health data to test whether poorly understood aspects of human health and disease can be illuminated by evolutionary hypotheses about gene-level conflict and the optimization of immune defence.

My research has been supported by the Danish Natural Science Research Council, the Danish National Research Foundation (Centre for Social Evolution: 2005-2015), the Carlsberg Foundation, the Humboldt Foundation, and the European Commission (Advanced ERC grant: 2013-2018, two research-training networks, participation in several thematic networks, and more than 20 individual Marie Curie fellowships to young researchers).

23 of the PhD students and postdocs trained in my research programs have obtained tenured academic positions (10 of these are now full Professors), of which 10 in Denmark, 7 in other European countries, 4 in North America and 2 in Asia.

Primary fields of research

• Social Evolution
• Social Insects
• Major Transitions in Evolution
• Cooperation and Conflict
• Mating systems
• Coevolution
• Genomics
• Evolutionary Medicine
• Conservation

Teaching

• Conservation (3rd year students)
• Population Ecology (4th year students)
• Evolutionary Ecology (4th year students)
• Entomological Field Course (4th year students)
• Evolutionary Medicine (4th year students)
• Tropical Behavioral Ecology and Evolution (4th year and PhD students)
• Various Social Evolution PhD courses

Selected publications

1. Published

   Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

   Adams, R. M. M., Liberti, J., Illum, A. A., Jones, T. H., Nash, David Richard & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2013, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 110, 39, p. 15752-15757 6 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

2. Published

   Specificity and stability of the Acromyrmex–Pseudonocardia symbiosis

   Andersen, Sandra Breum, Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg, Sapountzis, P., Sørensen, Søren Johannes & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2013, In: Molecular Ecology. 22, 16, p. 4307-4321 15 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

3. Published

   Evolutionary biology: Farming writ small

   Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2011, In: Nature. 469, 7330, p. 308-309 2 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

4. Published

   Only full-sibling families evolved eusociality

   Boomsma, Jacobus J., Beekman, M., Cornwallis, C. K., Griffin, A. S., Holman, L., Hughes, W. O. H., Keller, L., Oldroyd, B. P. & Ratnieks, F. L. W., 2011, In: Nature. 471, 7339, p. E4-5; author reply E9-10 4 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

5. Published

   Laccase detoxification mediates the nutritional alliance between leaf-cutting ants and fungus-garden symbionts.

   de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard, Schiøtt, M., Rogowska-Wrzesinska, A., Nygaard, S., Roepstorff, P. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2013, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 110, 2, p. 583-587 5 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

6. Published

   Seminal fluid mediates ejaculate competition in social insects

   Beckers, Susanne den Boer, Baer, B. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2010, In: Science. 327, 5972, p. 1506-1509 4 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

7. Published

   Dynamic disease management in trachymyrmex fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae)

   Fernández-Marín, H., Bruner, G., Gomez, E. B., Nash, David Richard, Boomsma, Jacobus J. & Wcislo, W. T., 2013, In: American Naturalist. 181, 4, p. 571-582 12 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

8. Published

   Random sperm use and genetic effects on worker caste fate in Atta colombica leaf-cutting ants

   Holman, L., Stürup, M., Trontti, K. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2011, In: Molecular Ecology. 20, 23, p. 5092-5102 11 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

9. Published

   Caste-specific expression of genetic variation in the size of antibiotic-producing glands of leaf-cutting ants

   Hughes, W. O. H., Bot, A. N. M. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2010, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 277, 1681, p. 609-15 6 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

10. Published

    Reproduction and dispersal in an ant-associated root aphid community

    Ivens, A. B. F., Kronauer, D. J. C., Pen, I., Weissing, F. J. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2012, In: Molecular Ecology. 21, 17, p. 4257-4269 13 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

11. Published

    Colony fusion and worker reproduction after queen loss in army ants

    Kronauer, D. J. C., Schöning, C., d'Ettorre, P. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2010, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 277, 1682, p. 755-63 8 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

12. Published

    Large-Scale Evolutionary Patterns of Host Plant Associations in the Lepidoptera

    Menken, S. B. J., Boomsma, Jacobus J. & van Nieukerken, E. J., 2010, In: Evolution. 64, 4, p. 1098-1119 22 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

13. Published

    Wingless virgin queens assume helper roles in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants

    Nehring, V., Boomsma, Jacobus J. & D'Ettorre, P., 2012, In: Current Biology. 22, 17, p. R671-R673 3 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › Research › peer-review

14. Published

    The genome of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior suggests key adaptations to advanced social life and fungus farming

    Nygaard, S., Zhang, G., Schiøtt, M., Li, C., Wurm, Y., Hu, H., Zhou, J., Ji, L., Qiu, F., Rasmussen, M., Pan, H., Hauser, Frank, Krogh, Anders, Grimmelikhuijzen, Cornelis (Cok), Wang, J. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2011, In: Genome Research. 21, 8, p. 1339-1348 10 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

15. Published

    Leaf-cutting ant fungi produce cell wall degrading pectinase complexes reminiscent of phytopathogenic fungi

    Schiøtt, M., Rogowska-Wrzesinska, A., Roepstorff, P. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 1 Jan 2010, In: B M C Biology. 8, p. 156

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

16. Published

    Genetic variation in virulence among chalkbrood strains infecting honeybees

    Vojvodic, S., Jensen, Annette Bruun, Markussen, Bo, Eilenberg, Jørgen & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2011, In: P L o S One. 6, 9, 5 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

17. Published

    Regulation and specificity of antifungal metapleural gland secretion in leaf-cutting ants

    Yek, S. H., Nash, David Richard, Jensen, Annette Bruun & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2012, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 279, 1745, p. 4215-4222 8 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

18. Published

    High Symbiont Relatedness Stabilizes Mutualistic Cooperation in Fungus-Growing Termites

    Aanen, D. K., de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard, Debets, A. J. M., Kerstes, N. A. G., Hoekstra, R. F. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Science. 326, 5956, p. 1103-6 3 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

19. Published

    The life of a dead ant -the expression of an adaptive extended phenotype

    Andersen, Sandra Breum, Gerritsma, S., Yusah, K. M., Mayntz, D., Hywel-Jones, N. L., Billen, J., Boomsma, Jacobus J. & Hughes, D. P., 2009, In: American Naturalist. 174, 3, p. 424-433 10 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

20. Published

    Sperm length evolution in the fungus-growing ants

    Baer, B., Dijkstra, M. B., Mueller, U. G., Nash, David Richard & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Behavioral Ecology. 20, 1, p. 38-45

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

21. Published

    Lifetime monogamy and the evolution of eusociality

    Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 364, 1533, p. 3191-207 16 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

22. Published

    Rethinking crop-disease management in fungus-growing ants

    Boomsma, Jacobus J. & Aanen, D. K., 2009, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America. 106, 42, p. 17611-2 1 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

23. Published

    Prudent sperm use by leaf-cutter ant queens

    Beckers, Susanne den Boer, Baer, B., Dreier, S. A. J., Aron, S., Nash, David Richard & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 276, 1675, p. 3945-3953 8 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

24. Published

    Caste-specific symbiont policing by workers of Acromyrmex fungus-growing ants

    Ivens, A. B. F., Nash, David Richard, Poulsen, Michael & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Behavioral Ecology. 20, 2, p. 378-384 7 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

25. Published

    A mosaic of chemical coevolution in a large blue butterfly.

    Nash, David Richard, Als, T. D., Maile, R., Jones, G. R. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2008, In: Science. 319, 5859, p. 88-90 2 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

26. Published

    Graveyards on the Move: The Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Dead Ophiocordyceps-Infected Ants

    Pontoppidan, M., Himaman, W., Hywel-Jones, N. L., Boomsma, Jacobus J. & Hughes, D. P., 2009, In: PLoS ONE. 4, 3, p. e4835

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

27. Published

    Ephemeral windows of opportunity for horizontal transmission of fungal symbionts in leaf-cutting ants

    Poulsen, Michael, Fernández-Marín, H., Currie, C. R. & Boomsma, Jacobus J., 2009, In: Evolution. 63, 9, p. 2235-2247 13 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review