Usually, we see ants forming a single file, following a scent trail to a food source and returning back to their nest. However, what happens when there are multiple food sources available?
Well, the ants in this scenario create a network of trails connecting their nest to all the available food sources. This is the conclusion of a fascinating new study from Florida State University.
Bhargav Karamched, an assistant professor of mathematics at Florida State University (FSU), is the lead researcher.
Focus of the research
“Social insect behavior has fascinated the biological community for a long time. The collective behavior of insects can be used to achieve more complicated outcomes than possible for individuals,” noted the researchers.
“This is especially important for ant species that rely on communication via pheromone to coordinate activity.”
Working in FSU ’s Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Karamched and his team have created a pioneering model that explains the phenomenon of trail formation to multiple food sources.