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Termitología Tomoi

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Termitología Tomoi FUNDACIÓN SINGER-POLIGNAC Pierre-P. GRASSÉ TERMITOLOGÍA TOMO I ANATOMÍA, FISIOLOGÍA Y REPRODUCCIÓN DE TERMITAS Pierre-P. GRASSÉ MASSON TERMITOLOGÍA TOMO I ANATOMÍA, FISIOLOGÍA Y REPRODUCCIÓN DE TERMITAS DEL MISMO AUTOR Dirección y co-redacción de Traité de Zoologie (Tratado de Zoología) – (36 volúmenes publicados después de 1948). Précis de Zoologie (Compendio de Zoología), 2 volúmenes, Masson 1976. Abrégé de Zoologie (Abreviado de Zoología), 2 volúmenes, Masson, 1979. Biologie moléculaire, Mutagenese, évolution, (Biología molecular, mutagénesis, evolución), Masson. 1978. La vie des animaux et le plus beau bestiaire du monde (La vida de los animales y el bestiario más bello del mundo), Larousse, volúmenes, 1968-1970. Toi, ce petit Dieu (Tú, un pequeño dios), Albin Michel, 1971. L’évolution du vivant (La evolución de los seres vivos), Albin Michel, 1973. La défaite de l’amour ou le triomphe de Freud (La derrota del amor o el triunfo de Freud), Albin Michel, 1976. Petit bréviare de la gastronomie Périgourdine (Pequeño compendio de gastronomía típica de Périgord), Ediciones Fanlac, Périgord, 1978. L’homme en accusation, de la biologie a la politique (El hombre culpable, de la biología a la política), Albin Michel, 1980. DEL MISMO EDITOR Bajo auspicio de la Fundación Singer-Polignac. Actas del Coloquio Internacional organizado en 1977 por la Fundación Singer-Polinac: Les origines humaines et les époques de l’intelligence (Los orígenes humanos y la época de la inteligencia), 1978, 304 pág. Actas del Coloquio Internacional organizado en 1977 por la Fundación Singer-Polinac para celebrar el centenario de la muerte de Claude Bernard: La Transmission neuromusculaire. Les médiateurs et le « Milieu intérieur » (La transmisión neuromuscular. Los mediadores y el “ambiente interior”), 1980, 335 pág. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck et son époque (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck y su época), por L. Szyfman, 1982. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie (Tratado de zoología. Anatomía, sistemática, biología). Bajo la dirección de P.P. Grassé (Miembro del Instituto). Tomo 8. - Insectes: Fascículo 1. - Téte, aile, vol. 1974, 832 pág. Fascículo 2. - Thorax, abdomen. 1979, 608 pág. Fascículo 3. - Téguments, systeme nerveuX, organes sensoriels. 1975, 904 pág. Fascículo 4. - Splanchnologie, phonation, vie aquatique, rapports avec les plantes. 1976, 984 pág. Fascículo 5 A. - Gamétogeneses, fécondation, métamorphoses. 1977,688 p. Fascículo 5 B. - Embryologie, cécidogenese, insectes venimeux. 1977, 496 pág. Tomo 9.- Insectes: Paléontologie, Géonémie, Aptérygores. Insectes inférieurs et Coléopteres. 1965, I 11 8 pág. Tomo 10. - Insectes supérieurs (moins les Coléopteres) : Fascículo l. - Névroptéroides, Mécoptéroides, Hyménopréroides (Symphytes et Térébrants). 195 1, 976 pág. Fascículo 2. - Hyménoptéroides, Psocoptéroides, Hémiptéroides, Thysanoptéroides. 1951 , 974 pág. Les insectes. Physiologie. Développement (Los insectos. Fisiología. Desarrollo), por E. Raccaud-Schoeller. 1981, 306 pág. Écologie des populations et des peuplements (Ecología de la población y de la plantación), por R. Barbault, 1981, 200 pág. FUNDACIÓN SINGER-POLIGNAC TERMITOLOGÍA ANATOMÍA, FISIOLOGÍA, BIOLOGÍA Y SISTEMÁTICA DE LAS TERMITAS TOMO I ANATOMÍA, FISIOLOGÍA Y REPRODUCCIÓN par Pierre-P. GRASSÉ Miembro de la Academia de Ciencias MASSON París Nueva York Barcelona Milán México Río de Janeiro 1982 PRÓLOGO Los libros científicos de síntesis son escasos. Exigen demasiado trabajo y conocimientos para ser realizados por un solo hombre y es posible que en un futuro cercano desaparezcan. Es una lástima, puesto que el trabajo en equipo nunca ha dado muestras de originalidad. Se puede hacer mucho en la investigación de rutina, yo también lo he hecho, es algo innegable. Sin embargo, no existe una meditación colectiva. Los fundamentos de la ciencia fueron construidos por hombres aislados. Un LAMARCK o un EINSTEIN han contribuido más al progreso de la ciencia que una armada de trabajadores sin imaginación y sin talento. Se observa que las memorias fundamentales son relativamente pocas, pero que son el origen de la proliferación de otras notas o memorias que las repiten o parafrasean. La desaparición de 75 de 100 páginas de papel impreso usado en estas publicaciones de rutina disminuirá poco nuestro conocimiento sobre las termitas. ¡De cuánto peso se libraría la termitología si esta desaparición se hiciera realidad!, ¡no más búsquedas bibliográficas ni lecturas estériles!, ¡Cuánto ahorro de tiempo! Teniendo en cuenta toda la investigación que he llevado a cabo desde 1921, es decir, desde hace más de medio siglo, me pareció útil recoger los resultados de mis estudios, algunos publicados y otros inéditos, e integrarlos al conjunto de trabajos de otros termitólogos para consolidar una especia de obra unitaria. Ésta no pretende ser la suma de conocimientos sobre los isópteros, sino que desea dar una visión general de estos insectos, una visión más completa y más precisa que las que se encuentran en aquellos libros hechos de mosaicos de capítulos mal articulados los unos con los otros. Me concentré en la vida social de estos insectos porque expresa y revela sus características más originales y fundamentales. A veces no dudé en señalar a otros órdenes de insectos, con el fin de determinar su verdadera naturaleza y el origen de su comportamiento. Sin embargo, no hay que caer en el error generalizado de considerar la evolución de la sociabilidad a través del reino animal, como si hubiera continuado así a lo largo de los siglos. Ninguna “cadena” evolutiva une a grupos de animales sociales entre sí. La anatomía y la etiología comparadas son suficientes para convencerse que las termitas evolucionaron de forma independiente. Incluso la paleontología, a pesar que sus registros aún son escasos, confirma el aislamiento de las termitas, provenientes de la orden Blattodea. Muy probablemente, su historia comenzó en el Triásico para terminar al comienzo de la Era Terciaria. Las termitas del Ámbar del Báltico se parecen totalmente a las formas actuales. La evolución en el transcurso de los últimos 30 millones de años ha sido muy poca. Los himenópteros evolucionaron mucho más tarde, dividiéndose en varios linajes evolutivos, algunos de los cuales se socializaron parcial o totalmente. Los isópteros constituyen un todo homogéneo y autónomo que ha pasado por una evolución muy original y considerablemente conservadora. Las formas arcaicas persisten a pesar de las formas más evolucionadas, permitiendo a los zoólogos trazar su historia con relativa precisión. Las termitas huyen de la luz, sus dominios son los de la oscuridad y la humedad. Las abejas, hijas de la luz, recolectan su alimento de flor en flor. Ambos tipos de insectos han evolucionado de forma independiente y han formado, cada uno a su manera, las sociedades animales más complejas y más coherentes que existen sobre la faz de nuestro planeta. La orden de los isópteros por sí sola constituye un universo donde los automatismos reinan como soberanos. Pero la vida, aquel cuadro que encierra todo, nunca está rígida; no va en contra de la regla de la plasticidad y tampoco suprime las facultades de adaptación. La estigmergia, gracias a la cual se regulan las actividades constructoras, proporciona evidencia clara. Las termitas se encuentran entre los animales más altamente socializados. Están en un grado sólo sobrepasado por el hombre. La “literatura” concerniente a las termitas es ya considerable, pero menor a la que se centra en las hormigas y abejas. La ubicación tropical de la mayoría de isópteros explica en parte esta diferencia. Incluso con la ayuda de un directorio bibliográfico (además incompleto), no es posible reunir la totalidad de las publicaciones relativas a las termitas, puesto que son tan numerosas que algunos escapan astutamente como ratas de biblioteca. Por último, están aquellas publicaciones impresas en pequeñas revistas poco difundidas que son prácticamente imposibles de encontrar. Sin duda, la ausencia de algunas notas o memorias no compromete el valor global de la síntesis, pero reduce el alcance. Lo ideal es haber leído todo, lo mejor y lo peor, ya que incluso una nota mediocre puede contener una nueva idea o revelar un avance importante. Leer todo es la tarea a la que debe someterse el autor de una obra de síntesis. Por último, debemos tener cuidado con el antropomorfismo aplicado a las sociedades animales, a través del cual la sociobiología está estrechamente vinculada a la biología y política. Hemos demostrado (1980) a que ideología totalitaria conduce esta práctica, la cual tuvo en la Alemania hitleriana un precursor personificado en el termitólogo Karl ESCHERICH. De lo anterior podemos deducir que sería útil estudiar el comportamiento de los termitólogos y sobre todo su motivación si deseamos entender el propósito detrás de sus publicaciones. La edición de tratado se ha vuelto tan costosa que no es posible a menos que un patrocinador se haga cargo. En el presente caso, le debo a la comprensión y generosidad de la Fundación Singer-Polignac el poder publicar un libro destinado, sobre todo, a especialistas. Expreso mi gratitud a dos Presidentes y amigos Robert COURRIER y Étienne WOLFF, así como a todo el Consejo de Administración. A Yvonne BRUCKER, Secretaria General de la Fundación Singer-Polignac, quien por su dedicación y competencia jugó un rol esencial en la edición del presente Tratado. Ruego acepte mi respetuoso agradecimiento. Por último, tampoco olvido a los termitólogos que amablemente me enviaron sus publicaciones y me autorizaron
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