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Biologists have detected what they say is the first evidence of changes in social networks of ants through a collective behavioral change aimed at protecting their colonies from life-threatening infections.
Scientists, who intentionally introduced a fungus into ants colonies grown in their laboratory, found that ants contaminated with uncontaminated fungi and ants remained distant from each other, displaying behavioral changes that protected vulnerable members of the family. their colonies.
"The isolation of sick people had already been observed in ants and bees," said Nathalie Stroeymeyt, an evolution scientist and senior researcher at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.
"But this is the first time we've seen behavioral changes in contaminated, healthy ants affecting social networks in their colonies."
The results suggest evolutionary mechanisms to prevent infections from spreading within social insect colonies that are extremely vulnerable to infection because of their high population numbers, frequent physical contact, and similarities. genetic.
The study was published in the US newspaper Science Friday.
Stroeymeyt and his colleagues in Lausanne and the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology used an automated system to track the movements of thousands of black ants, kept in 22 colonies, before and after exposing about 10% of the worker ants to fungal spores.
They noticed changes in the behavior of the ants even before the ants exposed to the fungus became ill. In the presence of fungal spores, ants changed the way they interacted with each other – foragers and nurses had less contact with each other.
Using sensitive laboratory techniques, scientists also found that this behavioral change reduced the risk of transferring fungal spores from infected ants to others.
A few individuals received a high dose of the fungus, but more ants received a low dose which, according to scientists, could help boost their immunity against future infections.
"The immune system of ants can well manage this low rate of pathogens, which provides a form of immune memory," said Sylvia Cremer, biologist of evolution at the Institute of Science and Technology, in A press release.
Stroeymeyt said that the precise mechanisms by which ants are able to detect the arrival of the fungus and then change their behavior and social networks remain unclear.
"The detection itself can be through the sense of smell, which is highly developed in ants," said Stroeymeyt.
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