Spanish workers are ruthless revolutionaries while British are loyal to their queens
3 November 2010
A new study that analyses how complex, highly evolved societies are organized in nature has found that workers play a pivotal role. And when it comes to determining who will be queen, the humble worker ant holds the power.
Scientists at the University of Leicester made a surprising discovery, however. Whilst Spanish 'twig' ants are hot headed revolutionaries that will kill rival queens to ensure the survival of their favourite, British, German and French ants are more apathetic and will show loyalty to any number of queens.
This information is key to understanding the evolution of complex interdependent societies - over 100 millions years old - that have evolved mechanisms ensuring stable cohabitation and conflict resolution.
Dr Robert Hammond said, "Some ants are pests, and in particular invasive ants - that have colonized new countries and continents - are very destructive causing many millions of pounds of damage. In a number of important cases ants have invaded because of a shift in their social organisation. So understanding the reason for differences in social organisation in a non invasive species is likely to help understand these problem species."
The four-year study reveals that Spanish ant societies are composed of single family units where only one queen rules the roost -but UK ant societies are a more complex mixture of family units where lots of queens are producing offspring.
The study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and is published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Further information
NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
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Tel: 01793 411727 or 411561
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Notes
1. Read the full story in the University of Leicester press release.
2. Download the published paper : Workers influence royal reproduction; authors Richard J. Gill and Robert L. Hammond
Press release: 41/10
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