When ants go marching one by one, they sync to avoid traffic jams

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-11-30 11:01

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Much like us, ants also like to avoid traffic jams. The team studied the fast paced, 20-minute activity and rest cycles of Leptothorax ants, with resting ants acting like immobile objects and blocking the path of other ants. They found that when ants synchronised activity, they reduced the risk of ‘traffic jams’ occurring.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Synchronized locomotion can improve spatial accessibility inside ant colonies

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Summary: Synchronized behaviors are common in biology. By studying the fast-paced, 20-minute rhythms of rest and activity that are present in a particular ant genus (Leptothorax), we have been able to uncover evidence that synchronization can have spatial benefits for social animals. Within Leptothorax nests, we found that when worker ants exhibit synchronized bursts of locomotor activity, they are able to avoid experiencing conditions analogous to traffic jams. Our work thus broadens our understanding of the effects of synchronized biological rhythms on animal social behavior.

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Journal/
conference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Texas Tech University, USA

Funder: This work received no specific funding

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