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IPFS News Link • Biology, Botany and Zoology

The incredible teamworking skills of ANTS: Leaders and lifters coordinate...

• http://www.dailymail.co, By JACK MILLNER

Ants have phenomenal strength, and are known for lifting many times their own body weight when bringing food home to the nest. 

And sometimes they must work together to transport big chunks of food in an operation that seams to require coordination.

Now researchers in Israel have revealed how leadership and teamwork allows ants to bring home the bacon.

Scientists observed that a team of ants does the heavy lifting while a small number of scouts step in to guide the group if they drift off course, the researchers found.

'To cooperatively transport a large load, it is important that carriers conform in their efforts and align their forces,' wrote the researchers.

'A downside of behavioural conformism is that it may decrease the group's responsiveness to external information.'


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