Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes
Authors: Doran, C., Pearce, T., Connor, A., Schlegel, T., Franklin, E., Sendova-Franks, A.B. and Franks, N.R.
Journal: Biology Letters
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
Pages: 20130685
eISSN: 1744-957X
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0685
Abstract:Organisms should invest more in gathering information when the pay-off from finding a profitable resource is likely to be greater. Here, we ask whether animal societies put more effort in scouting for a new nest when their current one is of low quality. We measured the scouting behaviour of Temnothorax albipennis ant colonies when they inhabit nest-sites with different combinations of desirable attributes. We show that the average probability of an ant scouting decreases significantly with an increase in the quality of the nest in which the colony currently resides. This means that the greater the potential gain from finding a new nest, the more effort a colony puts into gathering information regarding new nest-sites. Our results show, for the first time to our knowledge, the ability of animal societies to respond collectively to the quality of a resource they currently have at their disposal (e.g. current nest-site) and regulate appropriately their information gathering efforts for finding an alternative (e.g. a potentially better nest-site).
Source: Scopus
Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes
Authors: Doran, C., Pearce, T., Connor, A., Schlegel, T., Franklin, E., Sendova-Franks, A.B. and Franks, N.R.
Journal: Biology Letters
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
eISSN: 1744-957X
ISSN: 1744-9561
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0685
Abstract:Organisms should invest more in gathering information when the pay-off from finding a profitable resource is likely to be greater. Here, we ask whether animal societies put more effort in scouting for a new nest when their current one is of low quality. We measured the scouting behaviour of Temnothorax albipennis ant colonieswhen they inhabit nest-sites with different combinations of desirable attributes.We showthat the average probability of an ant scouting decreases significantly with an increase in the quality of the nest in which the colony currently resides. This means that the greater the potential gain from finding a new nest, the more effort a colony puts into gathering information regarding newnest-sites. Our results show, for the first time to our knowledge, the ability of animal societies to respond collectively to the quality of a resource they currently have at their disposal (e.g. current nest-site) and regulate appropriately their information gathering efforts for finding an alternative (e.g. a potentially better nest-site).
Source: Scopus
Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes.
Authors: Doran, C., Pearce, T., Connor, A., Schlegel, T., Franklin, E., Sendova-Franks, A.B. and Franks, N.R.
Journal: Biol Lett
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
Pages: 20130685
eISSN: 1744-957X
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0685
Abstract:Organisms should invest more in gathering information when the pay-off from finding a profitable resource is likely to be greater. Here, we ask whether animal societies put more effort in scouting for a new nest when their current one is of low quality. We measured the scouting behaviour of Temnothorax albipennis ant colonies when they inhabit nest-sites with different combinations of desirable attributes. We show that the average probability of an ant scouting decreases significantly with an increase in the quality of the nest in which the colony currently resides. This means that the greater the potential gain from finding a new nest, the more effort a colony puts into gathering information regarding new nest-sites. Our results show, for the first time to our knowledge, the ability of animal societies to respond collectively to the quality of a resource they currently have at their disposal (e.g. current nest-site) and regulate appropriately their information gathering efforts for finding an alternative (e.g. a potentially better nest-site).
Source: PubMed
Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes
Authors: Doran, C., Pearce, T., Connor, A., Schlegel, T., Franklin, E., Sendova-Franks, A.B. and Franks, N.R.
Journal: BIOLOGY LETTERS
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
eISSN: 1744-957X
ISSN: 1744-9561
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0685
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes.
Authors: Doran, C., Pearce, T., Connor, A., Schlegel, T., Franklin, E., Sendova-Franks, A.B. and Franks, N.R.
Journal: Biology letters
Volume: 9
Issue: 5
Pages: 20130685
eISSN: 1744-957X
ISSN: 1744-9561
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0685
Abstract:Organisms should invest more in gathering information when the pay-off from finding a profitable resource is likely to be greater. Here, we ask whether animal societies put more effort in scouting for a new nest when their current one is of low quality. We measured the scouting behaviour of Temnothorax albipennis ant colonies when they inhabit nest-sites with different combinations of desirable attributes. We show that the average probability of an ant scouting decreases significantly with an increase in the quality of the nest in which the colony currently resides. This means that the greater the potential gain from finding a new nest, the more effort a colony puts into gathering information regarding new nest-sites. Our results show, for the first time to our knowledge, the ability of animal societies to respond collectively to the quality of a resource they currently have at their disposal (e.g. current nest-site) and regulate appropriately their information gathering efforts for finding an alternative (e.g. a potentially better nest-site).
Source: Europe PubMed Central