Genetics 3C
Evolutionary Stages of the honey bee from a common ancestor
A phylogenetic chart of the 4 main honey bee species is shown with approximate times for each evolutionary stage. Little data seems to be available for the times of divergence of A. florea and A. dorsata although it is generally stated that A. florea is the more ancient of the two species.
In a paper published in 2014 [From where did the Western honeybee originate?] [7] the authors provided evidence for the times of the emergence of A. mellifera, the 4 mellifera Groups, and their many sub-species.
evolution chart honey bee species
A. mellifera:
the sub-species of the 4 groups appeared 13000 - 38000 years ago.







The C and O Groups diverged about 165 000 years ago.





A. mellifera evolved into Groups M, A, and C about
300 000 years ago.






Apis. cerana and mellifera diverged 6 - 9 million years ago.









Apis. dorsata Little information on the date when it first appeared.






Apis. florea is an ancient species.
Little information as to when it first existed


The common ancestor of our honey bees was alive 123 million years ago. Bees diversified in the age of eudicots] [30].
The evolution of bees was concurrent with the rise and expansion of flowering plants which were heavily dependent on bees for their pollination.

The term common ancestor does not refer to a single individual but rather to a common ancestral population or gene pool.
Next page: Genetics 3D
copyright©2024 killowen.com
Terms of Use