Collective retention and transmission of chemical signals in a social insect |
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Authors: | Katherine?P?Gill Ellen?van?Wilgenburg Peter?Taylor Email author" target="_blank">Mark?A?ElgarEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia;(2) Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; |
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Abstract: | Social insect colonies exhibit highly coordinated responses to ecological challenges by acquiring information that is disseminated
throughout the colony. Some responses are coordinated directly from the signals produced by individuals that acquired the
information. Other responses may require information to be transferred indirectly through a third party, thereby requiring
colony-wide retention of information. Social insects use colony signature odours to distinguish between nestmates and non-nestmates,
and the level of aggression between non-nestmates typically varies according to the distance between colonies and thus their
history of interactions. Such coordinated, colony-specific responses may require information about particular odours to be
disseminated and retained across the colony. Our field experiments with weaver ants reveal colony-wide, indirect acquisition
and retention of the signature odours of a different colony with which they had experienced aggression. These data highlight
the significance of interaction history and suggest the presence of a collective memory. |
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Keywords: | |
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