Ants estimate area using Buffon's needle

被引:84
作者
Mallon, EB [1 ]
Franks, NR
机构
[1] Univ Bath, Ctr Math Biol, Bath BA2 7AY, Avon, England
[2] Univ Bath, Dept Biol & Biochem, Bath BA2 7AY, Avon, England
关键词
ants; colony emigration; individual-specific pheromones; Leptothorax; nest sites; rules of thumb;
D O I
10.1098/rspb.2000.1069
中图分类号
Q [生物科学];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
We show for the first time, to our knowledge, that ants can measure the size of potential nest sites. Nest size assessment is by individual scouts. Such scouts always make more than one visit to a potential nest before initiating an emigration of their nest mates and they deploy individual-specific trails within the potential new nest on their first visit. We test three alternative hypotheses for the way in which scouts might measure nests. Experiments indicated that individual scouts use the intersection frequency between their own paths to assess nest areas. These results are consistent with ants using a 'Buffon's needle algorithm' to assess nest areas.
引用
收藏
页码:765 / 770
页数:6
相关论文
共 38 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], 1963, Geometrical Probability
[2]   VISUAL CUES AND TRAIL-FOLLOWING IDIOSYNCRASY IN LEPTOTHORAX-UNIFASCIATUS - AN ORIENTATION PROCESS DURING FORAGING [J].
ARON, S ;
DENEUBOURG, JL ;
PASTEELS, JM .
INSECTES SOCIAUX, 1988, 35 (04) :355-366
[3]   TRAILS AND U-TURNS IN THE SELECTION OF A PATH BY THE ANT LASIUS-NIGER [J].
BECKERS, R ;
DENEUBOURG, JL ;
GOSS, S .
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY, 1992, 159 (04) :397-415
[4]   MODULATION OF TRAIL LAYING IN THE ANT LASIUS-NIGER (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) AND ITS ROLE IN THE COLLECTIVE SELECTION OF A FOOD SOURCE [J].
BECKERS, R ;
DENEUBOURG, JL ;
GOSS, S .
JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR, 1993, 6 (06) :751-759
[5]   COLLECTIVE DECISION-MAKING THROUGH FOOD RECRUITMENT [J].
BECKERS, R ;
DENEUBOURG, JL ;
GOSS, S ;
PASTEELS, JM .
INSECTES SOCIAUX, 1990, 37 (03) :258-267
[6]   Self-organization in social insects [J].
Bonabeau, E ;
Theraulaz, G ;
Deneubourg, JL ;
Aron, S ;
Camazine, S .
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 1997, 12 (05) :188-193
[7]  
Bourke A. F. G., 1995, MONOGRAPHS BEHAV ECO
[8]   BIOLOGICAL COMPASSES AND THE COORDINATE FRAME OF LANDMARK MEMORIES IN HONEYBEES [J].
COLLETT, TS ;
BARON, J .
NATURE, 1994, 368 (6467) :137-140
[9]   Scavenging by Pheidole pallidula: A key for understanding decision-making systems in ants [J].
Detrain, C ;
Deneubourg, JL .
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 1997, 53 :537-547
[10]  
DETRAIN C, 1999, INFORMATION PROCESSI