Group phenotypic composition drives task performances in ants
Rayanne Martin1, Chloé Leroy1, István Maák2,3
1Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 Avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
Biology Letters
|January 9, 2024
Summary
High-exploring ants form more effective groups, showing increased aggression, prey collection, and nest relocation speed. Individual ant behavior strongly influences group performance, supporting the behavioral type hypothesis.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Eusocial insects
- Group dynamics
Background:
- Individual behavioral differences can lead to group functional differences, especially in social animals.
- The translation of individual behavioral phenotypes into group phenotypes is not well understood.
- Eusocial insects provide a model system to study the link between individual and collective behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how individual behavioral types influence group performance in the ant species *Aphaenogaster senilis*.
- To test the behavioral type hypothesis in a eusocial insect context.
- To determine if group behavior can be predicted from individual behavioral traits.
Main Methods:
- Measuring individual behavioral traits in *Aphaenogaster senilis* workers.
- Creating experimental groups composed of either high-exploratory or low-exploratory workers.
- Assessing group performance in ecologically relevant tasks: intruder response, prey retrieval, nest relocation, and tool use.
Main Results:
- Groups of high-exploratory workers exhibited greater aggression towards intruders compared to low-exploratory groups.
- High-exploratory groups were more efficient in prey retrieval and faster in nest relocation.
- Groups of high-exploratory ants were more likely to engage in tool use.
Conclusions:
- A strong correlation exists between individual and collective behavior in ants.
- The study supports the behavioral type hypothesis, suggesting individual behavior reflects inherent types.
- The average behavioral phenotype of a group can be predicted by the behavioral types of its individual members.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Social Loafing
34.8K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
34.8K
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
6.5K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
6.5K
00:57Inclusive Fitness
36.0K
Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
36.0K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
22.0K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
22.0K
01:03Altruism
41.1K
Altruistic behaviors are “unselfish” behaviors—those that help another individual at the expense of the individual carrying out the behavior. Despite the negative consequences for the altruistic animal, these behaviors are thought to have evolved for several reasons.
41.1K