Multiple levels of recognition in ants: a feature of complex societies

Patrizia d’Ettorre, département de biologie, université de Copenhague, Danemark

vendredi 22 janvier 2010, à 11 heures, amphithéâtre Monge

Communication and recognition are essential for social life. Social insects are good model systems to study social behaviour and complexity because their societies are evolutionarily stable and ecologically successful. Ants, in particular, show a large variety of adaptations and are extremely diverse. In ants, social interactions are regulated by at least three levels of recognition. Nestmate recognition occurs between colonies, is very effective, and involves fast processing. Within a colony, division of labour is enhanced by recognition of different classes of individuals. Ultimately, in particular circumstances, such as cooperative colony founding with stable dominance hierarchies, ants are capable of individual recognition. The underlying recognition cues and mechanisms appear to be specific to each recognition level, and their integrated understanding could contribute to the identification of the minimum requirements for the emergence of sociality.

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Multiple levels of recognition in ants: a feature of complex societies

Patrizia d'Ettorre, département de biologie, université de Copenhague, Danemark

vendredi 22 janvier 2010, à 11 heures, amphithéâtre Monge

 

Communication and recognition are essential for social life. Social insects are good model systems to study social behaviour and complexity because their societies are evolutionarily stable and ecologically successful. Ants, in particular, show a large variety of adaptations and are extremely diverse. In ants, social interactions are regulated by at least three levels of recognition. Nestmate recognition occurs between colonies, is very effective, and involves fast processing. Within a colony, division of labour is enhanced by recognition of different classes of individuals. Ultimately, in particular circumstances, such as cooperative colony founding with stable dominance hierarchies, ants are capable of individual recognition. The underlying recognition cues and mechanisms appear to be specific to each recognition level, and their integrated understanding could contribute to the identification of the minimum requirements for the emergence of sociality.

titre:

Multiple levels of recognition in ants: a feature of complex societies

intervenant:

Patrizia d'Ettorre

date:

vendredi 22 janvier 2010