How ants use quorum sensing to estimate the average quality of a fluctuating resource

Nigel R. Franks; Jonathan P. Stuttard; Carolina Doran; Julian C. Esposito; Maximillian C. Master; Ana B. Sendova-Franks; Naoki Masuda; Nicholas F. Britton

doi:10.1038/srep11890

How ants use quorum sensing to estimate the average quality of a fluctuating resource

Nigel R. Franks, Jonathan P. Stuttard, Carolina Doran, Julian C. Esposito, Maximillian C. Master, Ana B. Sendova-Franks, Naoki Masuda, Nicholas F. Britton

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Abstract

We show that one of the advantages of quorum-based decision-making is an ability to estimate the average value of a resource that fluctuates in quality. By using a quorum threshold, namely the number of ants within a new nest site, to determine their choice, the ants are in effect voting with their feet. Our results show that such quorum sensing is compatible with homogenization theory such that the average value of a new nest site is determined by ants accumulating within it when the nest site is of high quality and leaving when it is poor. Hence, the ants can estimate a surprisingly accurate running average quality of a complex resource through the use of extraordinarily simple procedures.

Original language	English
Article number	11890
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11890
Publication status	Published - 8 Jul 2015

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10.1038/srep11890Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "How ants use quorum sensing to estimate the average quality of a fluctuating resource",

abstract = "We show that one of the advantages of quorum-based decision-making is an ability to estimate the average value of a resource that fluctuates in quality. By using a quorum threshold, namely the number of ants within a new nest site, to determine their choice, the ants are in effect voting with their feet. Our results show that such quorum sensing is compatible with homogenization theory such that the average value of a new nest site is determined by ants accumulating within it when the nest site is of high quality and leaving when it is poor. Hence, the ants can estimate a surprisingly accurate running average quality of a complex resource through the use of extraordinarily simple procedures.",

author = "Franks, {Nigel R.} and Stuttard, {Jonathan P.} and Carolina Doran and Esposito, {Julian C.} and Master, {Maximillian C.} and Sendova-Franks, {Ana B.} and Naoki Masuda and Britton, {Nicholas F.}",

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AU - Franks, Nigel R.

AU - Stuttard, Jonathan P.

AU - Doran, Carolina

AU - Esposito, Julian C.

AU - Master, Maximillian C.

AU - Sendova-Franks, Ana B.

AU - Masuda, Naoki

AU - Britton, Nicholas F.

PY - 2015/7/8

Y1 - 2015/7/8

N2 - We show that one of the advantages of quorum-based decision-making is an ability to estimate the average value of a resource that fluctuates in quality. By using a quorum threshold, namely the number of ants within a new nest site, to determine their choice, the ants are in effect voting with their feet. Our results show that such quorum sensing is compatible with homogenization theory such that the average value of a new nest site is determined by ants accumulating within it when the nest site is of high quality and leaving when it is poor. Hence, the ants can estimate a surprisingly accurate running average quality of a complex resource through the use of extraordinarily simple procedures.

AB - We show that one of the advantages of quorum-based decision-making is an ability to estimate the average value of a resource that fluctuates in quality. By using a quorum threshold, namely the number of ants within a new nest site, to determine their choice, the ants are in effect voting with their feet. Our results show that such quorum sensing is compatible with homogenization theory such that the average value of a new nest site is determined by ants accumulating within it when the nest site is of high quality and leaving when it is poor. Hence, the ants can estimate a surprisingly accurate running average quality of a complex resource through the use of extraordinarily simple procedures.

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