How Are Ants and Humans Similar?
WouterAlmost all individual ants sacrifice for the benefit of the entire nest. Some species focus on foraging plants and raiding other nests, while others are employed as soldiers.
There is evidence that ants and humans have more in common than the differences of their genomes. These similarities could provide insight into the origins of human society. Unlike primates, ants have the capability to build large, complex societies. This suggests that their evolution is related to an ability to cooperate.
Despite this, the human fossil record limits the study of how human society has developed. While the size of the human brain appears to have decreased over the last 10,000 years, it is not known whether the size has increased or decreased in subsequent times.
Humans can have societies as large as millions. These larger groups are more productive per capita. But they also require fewer resources to house each individual. Alternatively, a larger society can be deployed as a reserve labor force.
The size of the human brain may also be influenced by the size of the social groups it belongs to. Some species of ants have large brains that enable them to form complex social groups. This could explain their agricultural roles.
Other research shows that ants, like humans, change their decision-making strategies based on experience. For example, ants have been found to choose nests based on the amount of light they see at a given time. In other words, they weigh their options as a colony. They also make trade-offs for the qualities of their habitat.
