Coevolution of the Honeybee and Man: Adaptive Evolution of Two Species

The issues of honeybee evolution, the formation of their relationship with humans, and the consequences of domestication against the background of selection are discussed. The honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) emerged more than 100 million years ago on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana. The relationship between humans and the honeybee began to form 10 000 years ago. Before meeting humans, the bee was in an unchanged original form. Today, this species has been significantly modified as a result of domestication and is widely used not only for the production of honey, wax, and royal jelly but also for pollination of agricultural crops throughout the world. The evolution of A. mellifera began in Southeast Asia, and the formation of subspecies began in North Africa, which later spread north, to West Asia and Northern Europe. The encounter of the honeybee with humans led to revolutionary changes. Most subspecies of bees formed about 100 000 years ago were lost as a result of hybridization due to human activities. This process contributed to the blurring of the geographical boundaries of the subspecies ranges and created new threats to the conservation of biological and genetic diversity of bees. The use of local populations of honeybees has proven their advantages in the resistance of families to environmental factors compared to introduced bees. The selection of subspecies and ecotypes adapted to the conditions that formed them during evolution plays an important role in the management of honeybees, since genetic diversity maintains their evolutionary potential for adaptation. The history of the relationship between humans and honeybees is a key aspect in understanding their modern environmental adaptation and for the formation of a further strategy for mutually beneficial relations. Modern humans and bees, despite their apparent independence, have become mutually beneficial partners, capable, through cooperation, of increasing their adaptation, sustainability, and survivability in the modern world.