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Phase transition between ordered and disordered foraging in Pharaoh's ants
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 22:25 authored by M Beekman, D J Sumpter, Francis RatnieksThe complex collective behavior seen in many insect societies strongly suggests that a minimum number of workers are required for these societies to function effectively. Here we investigated the transition between disordered and ordered foraging in the Pharaoh's ant. We show that small colonies forage in a disorganized manner, with a transition to organized pheromone-based foraging in larger colonies. We also show that when food sources are difficult to locate through independent searching, this transition is first-order and exhibits hysteresis, comparable to a first-order phase transition found in many physical systems. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of a behavioral phase transition between a maladaptive (disorganized) and an adaptive (organized) state.
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Publication status
- Published
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesISSN
0027-8424Publisher
National Academy of SciencesExternal DOI
Issue
17Volume
98Page range
9703-9706Pages
4.0Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2012-02-06Usage metrics
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