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Trails of ants converge or diverge through lens-shaped impediments, resembling principles of optics

Title
Trails of ants converge or diverge through lens-shaped impediments, resembling principles of optics
Author(s)
Choi, JibeomLim, HangahSong, WoncheolCho, HanKim, Ho-YoungLee, Sang-imJablonski, Piotr G.
Issued Date
2020-05
Citation
Scientific Reports, v.10, no.1, pp.8479
Type
Article
Keywords
FORAGING EFFICIENCYHARVESTER ANTOPTIMIZATIONRECRUITMENTHYMENOPTERANAVIGATIONFORAGERSCOLONIESSIZEFOOD
ISSN
2045-2322
Abstract
Analogies across disciplines often indicate the existence of universal principles such as optimization, while the underlying proximate mechanisms may differ. It was reported recently that trails of ants refract at the border of substrates, on which walking speeds differ. This phenomenon is analogous to the travel-time-minimizing routes of light refracting at the borders between different media. Here, we further demonstrate that ant tracks converge or diverge across lens-shaped impediments similar to light rays through concave or convex optical lenses. The results suggest that the optical principle of travel time reduction may apply to ants. We propose a simple mathematical model that assumes nonlinear positive feedback in pheromone accumulation. It provides a possible explanation of the observed similarity between ant behavior and optics, and it is the first quantitative theoretical demonstration that pheromone-based proximate mechanisms of trail formation may produce this similarity. However, the future detailed empirical observations of ant behavior on impediment edges during the process of pheromone trail formation are needed in order to evaluate alternative explanations for this similarity. © 2020, The Author(s).
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11750/12601
DOI
10.1038/s41598-020-65245-0
Publisher
Nature Research
Related Researcher
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Appears in Collections:
Department of New Biology Lab of Integrative Animal Ecology 1. Journal Articles

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