As Presented by Andrew Smith & Estelle Stroup

CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY IN ANT SOCIETY

Overview – Why Study Ants Ants are an ideal system to study when

considering complexity in biology due to:1) Ants are simple organisms which can be

modeled using simple rules2) Ant species are extremely diverse (varying

social structures, behavior, morphology, etc.)3) Ants reproduce quickly and can be easily

studied in a controlled environment4) Colonies generally consist of many individuals

which interact strongly constituting a perfect candidate for complexity

Order From Chaos—Pheromones In ant societies, one of the main forms of

communication is chemical signals called pheromones

Often scientists model foraging in ant colonies by a number of ants which move in a random manner around the nest

Once food is found pheromone trails guide additional ants to the source

In turn, these ants intensify the pheromone trail causing a positive feedback loop

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Ant Foraging

Nest

Food

Pheromones continued… A similar process causes ants to swarm

when an ant is crushed (a defensive reaction)

In both cases pheromone trails act as attractors for ant motion

Self-Organization in Ant Colonies

Ants are simple individual organisms capable of performing complex tasks when joined together.

They are often capable of performing these tasks without a central controlling force. Self-organized digging

activity in ant colonies (experiment).

The making of structures solely out of their own bodies.

In Conclusion Practical Applications

Ant Colony Optimization A theory used to optimize performance in

numerous industries ranging from the automotive industry to the packing and shipping industry.

Based on the efficient workings of a typical ant colony.