How do ant colonies get anything done, when no one is in charge?
An ant colony operates without a central control or hierarchy, and
no ant directs another. Instead, ants decide what to do based on
the rate, rhythm, and pattern of individual encounters and
interactions--resulting in a dynamic network that coordinates the
functions of the colony. "Ant Encounters" provides a revealing and
accessible look into ant behavior from this complex systems
perspective.
Focusing on the moment-to-moment behavior of ant colonies,
Deborah Gordon investigates the role of interaction networks in
regulating colony behavior and relations among ant colonies. She
shows how ant behavior within and between colonies arises from
local interactions of individuals, and how interaction networks
develop as a colony grows older and larger. The more rapidly ants
react to their encounters, the more sensitively the entire colony
responds to changing conditions. Gordon explores whether such
reactive networks help a colony to survive and reproduce, how
natural selection shapes colony networks, and how these structures
compare to other analogous complex systems.
"Ant Encounters" sheds light on the organizational behavior,
ecology, and evolution of these diverse and ubiquitous social
insects.
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