Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Evolution of self-organized systems.

Blaine J Cole1

  • 1Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Texas 77204-5001, USA.

The Biological Bulletin
|June 28, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The ontogeny of selection on genetic diversity in harvester ants.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2022
Same author

The benefits of being big and diverse: early colony survival in harvester ants.

Ecology·2021
Same author

Comparative advantage and caste evolution.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2020
Same author

Offspring Size and Reproductive Allocation in Harvester Ants.

The American naturalist·2017
Same author

SEXUAL SELECTION ON BODY SIZE AND SHAPE IN THE WESTERN HARVESTER ANT, POGONOMYRMEX OCCIDENTALIS CRESSON.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same author

Recruitment in the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis: effects of experimental removal.

Oecologia·2017
Same journal

About the Cover.

The Biological bulletin·2026
Same journal

How Does Local Temperature Shape Thermal Tolerance? A Test Using Congeneric Snails on Tropical Rocky Shores.

The Biological bulletin·2026
Same journal

The Cnidarian Bcl-2 Family and Apoptosis: Evidence for Evolutionary Diversity and Involvement in the Onset of Symbiosis.

The Biological bulletin·2026
Same journal

High Mortality and Reduced Pup Production in Eared Seals Following the 2023 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Patagonia.

The Biological bulletin·2026
Same journal

Regeneration and Caudal Segmentation in <i>Phragmatopoma californica</i> (Annelida: Sabellariidae).

The Biological bulletin·2026
Same journal

A Redescription and Characterization of the Transcriptome of the Sea Anemone <i>Edwardsia elegans</i> (Verrill).

The Biological bulletin·2026
See all related articles

Self-organized patterns in ant colonies may not be adaptations. Evolution requires genetic feedback between the pattern and the colony subunits producing it. Without this, patterns do not evolve.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Computational biology
  • Animal behavior

Background:

  • Some ant colonies exhibit complex, self-organized activity cycles.
  • Understanding the evolutionary origins of these patterns is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether observed self-organized patterns in ant colonies are necessarily adaptations.
  • To explore the conditions required for the evolution of such patterns.

Main Methods:

  • A computer model was developed to simulate periodic activity patterns in interacting subunits.
  • A genetic algorithm was employed to explore model parameters, linking selection to pattern emergence.

Main Results:

  • Self-organized patterns can arise as nonadaptive responses to selection, exaptations, or even disadvantageous traits.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The study highlights that pattern observation alone does not imply adaptation.

    • Conclusions:

    • Evolution of self-organized patterns necessitates genetic feedback between the emergent pattern and the system's subunits.
    • Without this feedback loop, self-organized systems do not evolve, regardless of pattern complexity.