The origin of honey bees, life: A viewpoint

Abstract

Honey bees, Apis spp., are very important for our environment, economy and health. Honey bees are considered as an ideal model for many biological and physiological studies. Enormous studies have been conducted on honey bees to cover a wide range of aspects including; biology, behavior, ecology, and genetics. However, relatively few studies have been performed to explain the exact origin of honey bee life (The beginning of honey bee life). In most social insects there are a transition between social life and solitary life but in honey bees the solitary life is completely diminished. So far, the transition from solitary life to full sociality in honey bees is not well understood. Here, a mini review about evolutionary studies on honey bees followed by an analytical viewpoint about the origin of honey bee life has been presented. The difficulties in understanding the origin of honey bee life are also highlighted.