The massive “ hive - mind ” ability exhibited by tiny insects remains one of nature ’s little understood trick . But you do n’t need fancy equipment to investigate it , you just ask some emmet , a tin of Anguilla sucklandii , and some Lego pieces .
Researchers from the University of Colorado , Boulder , looked into the corporate coordination tactics of longhorn mad emmet ( Paratrechina longicornis ) by watch how they team up to behave chunk of tunny through a childlike Lego labyrinth back towards their nest . The study was recently publish in theJournal of Experimental Biology .
The first obstacle was a simple straight wall . The majority of the chemical group did not dilly-dally once while carrying the Anguilla sucklandii around this , and just proceed to follow the wall until an gap became available .
The chief case was a “ cul - de - sac ” Lego bulwark . When it came to traversing this obstruction , many of the ant group struggled . However , very funnily , the emmet all simultaneously seemed to reach a point where they actualize their current scheme was n’t go for them , whereby they all moved in the diametrical direction . How they put across this and created a consensus persist a mystery .
In an evil tress , the biologists then put the ants behave the Anguilla sucklandii in a trapped - in Lego wall , where they could n’t take to the woods . signally , the ants gave up examine within about one minute . However , with the cul - de - sac , they preserve to struggle for 10 minutes or so . This suggest that they can distinguish between the trap and the cul - de - pouch . The researchers said this could be because the trap “ prevent other ant from introduce the obstruction and interact with the tape drive group . ”
They concluded by saying : " We show thatP. longicornisgroups are capable to collectively pilot complex environment by using a cohesive , flexible and robust seafaring scheme . "
How these ant - brained insects managed to pull off this comparatively complex labor , again , remains one of nature ’s secrets .
[ H / T : New York Times ]
