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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 4, 2025

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

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Published on: October 5, 2018

Alternative model systems for cognitive variation: eusocial-insect colonies.

M Gabriela Navas-Zuloaga¹, Theodore P Pavlic², Brian H Smith³

¹School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|July 21, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Animal cognition evolution is studied using eusocial insects. These insect colonies exhibit emergent cognitive-like properties, offering tractable models to understand group-level variation in problem-solving behaviors.

Keywords:

alternative model systems collective behavior collective cognition eusocial insects networks variation

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Area of Science:

Evolution of Cognition
Animal Behavior
Neuroscience

Background:

Cognitive variation in animal populations is key to understanding the evolution of cognition.
Studying the brain's complex network is challenging due to its heterogeneous components.
Tractable alternative model systems are valuable for studying cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

To review individual-scale mechanisms driving group-level variation in eusocial insect colonies.
To explore how insect colonies solve problems analogous to cognitive challenges in brains.
To highlight the utility of eusocial insects as models for cognitive evolution.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on eusocial insect behavior and cognition.
Analysis of emergent cognitive-like properties in insect colonies.
Examination of individual-scale mechanisms influencing collective problem-solving.

Main Results:

Eusocial insect colonies display emergent cognitive-like properties through social interactions.
Individual-scale mechanisms contribute to group-level variation in colony problem-solving.
Insect colonies can be effectively studied for decision-making, attention, and search behaviors.

Conclusions:

Eusocial insects provide a valuable, tractable model system for studying the evolution of cognition.
Understanding collective behavior in insects offers insights into cognitive processes.
Further research into insect societies can illuminate fundamental principles of cognition.