How Do Ants Make Decisions?
WouterDespite their lack of leaders, ants use the collective power of their brains to make decisions. Using a technique called crowdsourcing, ants combine their sensory inputs with parameters of their colony. This allows the colony to make a decision on a nesting site.
In this study, researchers tested whether a group of ants could make a collective decision. They were given eight different choices for a nesting site. The results showed that the group made the right decision in most cases. However, in a few cases, the ants chose the wrong location.
Earlier studies have shown that ant colonies make collective decisions under varying conditions. For example, when temperatures rise, ant colonies must make a decision about whether to stay or move. In these situations, the ants must weigh the costs of leaving their home with the threat of staying. The ants’ ability to make a decision depends on the size of the colony and the magnitude of the stressor. The ants also make decisions based on information from their experiences.
To study collective decision making, researchers created artificial nests that were intended to look like the nests of inferior species. They then tested the group’s decision making advantage in two experiments.
In one experiment, researchers made two artificial nests with different entrance sizes. One nest had a larger entrance and a bright interior, while the other had a smaller entrance and a dark interior. The nests were sized and decorated to simulate an inferior nest.
