The rewards of restraint in the collective regulation of foraging by harvester ant colonies

@article{Gordon2013TheRO,
  title={The rewards of restraint in the collective regulation of foraging by harvester ant colonies},
  author={Deborah M. Gordon},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2013},
  volume={498},
  pages={91-93}
}
  • D. Gordon
  • Published 6 June 2013
  • Biology, Medicine
  • Nature
Collective behaviour, arising from local interactions, allows groups to respond to changing conditions. Long-term studies have shown that the traits of individual mammals and birds are associated with their reproductive success, but little is known about the evolutionary ecology of collective behaviour in natural populations. An ant colony operates without central control, regulating its activity through a network of local interactions. This work shows that variation among harvester ant… 
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