Carpenter ants: When social instructions may be dangerous

Carpenter ants: When social instructions may be dangerous

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Why do social beings sometimes put their own common sense aside to follow the lead of others, even though by doing so they could be brought to death's door? Research on carpenter ants (Camponotus mus) led by Roxana Josens shows that so-called social information delivered by other ants often overrides an individual's assessment that a certain food source is toxic. The findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.



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October 25, 2016 at 02:24AM

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