Scout-initiated group raiding in ants is an incredibly rich collective behavior that can now be studied in the lab. Exciting new @biorxivpreprint from our lab @RockefellerUniv with @VChandra_ & @asafffgal biorxiv.org/content/10.110…. (1/8)
Scout-initiated group raids are stereotyped in the sequence of events, but there is interesting variation in the length of some phases. Lots of cool collective decision making and navigation as well. @biorxiv_evobio @biorxiv_neursci @biorxiv_ecology. biorxiv.org/content/10.110… (2/8)
Turns out that group raiding is the evolutionary precursor of army ant mass raiding, one of the most spectacular collective phenomena out there. However, we actually know very little about how collective behavior evolves mechanistically in any animal group. (3/8)
In contrast to group raids, in the mass raids of #armyants, many thousand ants leave the nest spontaneously, recruitment occurs at the raid front, and the ants attack several prey animals at once: . (4/8)
Group raiders and mass raiders seem to use the same behavioral rules. Mass raids emerge gradually in group raiders as we experimentally increase colony size, suggesting that collective behavior can evolve via simple scaling effects, without changing individual behavior. (5/8)
Thousands of clonal raider ants participated in this study, and hundreds of hours of ant videos were analyzed with our new tracking software anTraX biorxiv.org/content/10.110…. Thanks to @HHMINEWS, @NIGMS, and @HFSP for funding. (6/8)
If you want to learn more and see additional cool videos, check out the preprint at biorxiv.org/content/10.110…. (7/8)
And tune in to the talk by @VChandra_ about the project today at 6pm EST @AnimalBehavLive animalbehaviour.live #ABL2020. #ants #armyants #collectivebehavior #socialevolution. (8/8)
