Research highlights & contributions 

Please contact Chris for reprints if you do not have access.

• Smith, C.R. 2023. Sexual dimorphism as a facilitator of worker caste evolution in ants. Ecology and Evolution 13 (2), e9825.

• Dennis et al, (40 authors). 2020. Functional insights from the GC-poor genomes of two aphid parasitoids, Aphidius ervi and Lysiphlebus fabarum. BMC genomics 21, 1-27

• Y Gutiérrez, T Phung, H Mumma, A Ambrose‐Winters, C Scherber, Smith, C.R. 2020. Growth and survival of the superorganism: Ant colony macronutrient intake and investment. Ecology and Evolution 10 (14), 7901-7915.

• JD Coolon, Z Drum, SM Lanno, Smith, C.R. 2019. Osiris genes and insect adaptive evolution. eLS,1—14

• Smith, C.R., C. Morandin, M. Noureddine, S. Pant. 2018. Conserved roles of Osiris genes in insect development, polymorphism, and protection. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 31 (4), 516-529.

• Smith, C.R., P. Blair, C. Boyd, B. Cody, A. Hazel, A. Hedrick, H. Kathuria, P. Khurana, B. Kramer, K. Muterspaw, C. Peck, E. Sells, J. Skinner, C. Tegeler, Z. Wolfe. 2016. Microbial community responses to soil tillage and crop rotation in a corn/soybean agroecosystem. Ecology and Evolution 6:8075-8084.

• Smith, C.R., S. Helms Cahan, C. Kemena, S.G. Brady, W. Yang, E. Bornberg-Bauer, R. Eriksson, J. Gadau, M. Helmkampf, D. Gotzek, M. Okamoto Miyakawa, A.V. Suarez, A. Mikheyev. 2015. How do genomes create novel phenotypes? Insights from the loss of the worker caste in ant social parasites. 2015. Molecular Biology and Evolution 32:2919-2931. (cover article)

• Tillberg, C.V., B. Edmonds, A. Freauff, P.E. Hanisch, C. Paris, Smith, C.R., N.D. Tsutsui, B.D. Wills, S.E. Wittman, and A.V. Suarez. 2014. Foraging ecology of the tropical giant hunting ant Dinoponera australis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)-evaluating mechanisms for high abundance. Biotropica 46:229-237.

• • Popular press: Discover Magazine, Wired.com

• Linksvayer, T.A., J.W. Busch, Smith, C.R.2013. Do supergenes play important roles in social evolution? Bioessays 35:683-689.

• Simola, D.F. et al. 2013. (38 authors). Social insect genomes exhibit dramatic evolution in gene composition and regulation while preserving regulatory features linked to sociality. Genome Research 23:1235-1247.

• Smith, C.R., N.S. Mutti, W.C. Jasper, A. Naidu, C.D. Smith, J. Gadau. 2012. Patterns of DNA methylation in development, division of labor and hybridization in an ant with genetic caste determination. PLoS ONE 7(8):e42433.

• Schmidt, K.C., B.G. Hunt, Smith, C.R.. 2012. Queen, worker, and male yellowjacket wasps receive different nutrition during development. Insectes Sociaux (online early)

• Gadau, J., M. Helmkampf, S. Nygaard, J. Roux, D.F. Simola, Smith, C.R., G. Suen, Y. Wurm, C.D. Smith. 2012. The genomic impact of100 million years of social evolution in seven ant species. Trends in Genetics 28: 14-21. (cover)

• Smith, C.R., A.V. Suarez, N.D. Tsutsui, S.E. Wittman, B. Edmonds, A. Freauff, and C.V. Tillberg. 2011. Nutritional asymmetries are related to division of labor in a queen-less ant. PLoS ONE 6(8): e24011

• • Popular press: Washington Post

• Smith, C.R., et al. 2011 (45 authors) A draft genome of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 108:5667-5672.

• Smith, C.R., et al. 2011 (50 authors) A draft genome of the globally widespread and invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 108:5673-5678.

• Suen et al. (48 authors) The genome sequence of the leaf-cutter ant Atta cephalotes reveals insights into its obligate symbiotic lifestyle. PLoS Genetics:7(2)

• • Popular press from the ant genome projects (many, here is an example)

• Smith, C. R. and A. V. Suarez. 2010. The trophic ecology of castes in harvester ant colonies. Functional Ecology 24:122-130.

• Smith, C.D. Smith, C.R., U. Mueller and J. Gadau. 2010. Ant genomics: strength and diversity in numbers. Molecular Ecology 19: 31-35.

• Anderson, K.E., Smith C.R., T.A. Linksvayer, B.M. Mott, J. Gadau, and J.H. Fewell. 2009.

• Smith, C.R., A. Dolezal, D. Eliyahu, C. T. Holbrook, and J. Gadau. 2009. Ants (Formicidae): Models for social complexity. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols 4(7): upcoming in "Emerging Model Organisms, Vol. 2" (below are some included protocols)

• • Smith, C.R. 2009. Ecological sampling of ants (competition and biodiversity). Cold Spring Harbor Protocols 4(7):826-82 Modeling  the maintenance of a dependent lineage system: the influence of positive frequency dependent selection on sex ratio. Evolution 63:2142-2152.8.

• • Smith, C.R., W. R. Tschinkel. 2009. Collecting live ant specimens (colony sampling). Cold Spring Harbor Protocols 4(7):819-822

• • Smith, C.R., W. R. Tschinkel. 2009. Ant fat extraction with a Soxhlet extractor. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols 832-835.

• • Smith, C.R., C.V. Tillberg. 2009. Stable isotope and elemental analysis in ants. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols 4(7):829-830.

• Smith, C.R., A.L. Toth, A.V. Suarez, and G.E. Robinson. 2008. Genetics and genomics of the division of labor in insect societies. Nature Reviews Genetics9:735-748.

• Smith, C.R., K.E. Anderson, C.V. Tillberg, J. Gadau and A.V. Suarez. 2008. Caste determination in a polymorphic social insect: nutritional, social, and genetic factors. American Naturalist 172(4):497-507.

• • Popular press on this article: ScienceDaily, LiveScience(MSNBC), EScienceNews, etc.

• Anderson, K.E., T.A. Linksvayer, and Smith, C.R. 2008. The causes and consequences of genetic caste determination in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Myrmecological News 11: 119-132.

• Smith, C.R., C. Schoenic*, K.E. Anderson, J. Gadau, and A.V. Suarez. 2007. Potential and realized reproduction by different worker castes in queen-less and queen-right colonies of Pogonomyrmex badius. Insectes Sociaux 54(3):260-267.

• Smith, C. R. 2007. Energy use and allocation in the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius: are stored seeds a buffer? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61:1479-1487.

• LeBrun, E.G., C.V. Tillberg, A.V. Suarez, P. Folgarait, Smith, C.R., and D.A. Holway. 2007. An experimental study of competitive interactions between red imported fire ants and Argentine ants in a region of native-range sympatry. Ecology 88(1):63-75 (Cover article).

• Smith, C. R. and W. R. Tschinkel. 2007. The adaptive nature of non-food collection for the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius. Ecological Entomology 32:105-112.

• Smith, C. R., J. Oettler, A. Kay, and C. Deans*. 2007. First recorded mating flight of the hypogeic ant, Acropyga epedana, with its obligate mutualist mealybug, Rhizoecus colombiensis. Journal of Insect Science 7:11 (5 pages).

• Smith, C. R. and W. R. Tschinkel. 2006. Sociometry and sociogenesis of reproduction in the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius. Journal of Insect Science 6:32 (11 pages).

• Smith, C. R. and W. R. Tschinkel. 2005. Object depots in the genus Pogonomyrmex: exploring the “who”, what, when, and where. Journal of Insect Behavior. 18(6):859-879.

• Smith, C.R. and L.E. Gilbert. 2003. Differential attraction of a parasitoid to dead host ants. Florida Entomologist. 86(4):479-480.