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J R Soc Interface

Title:		Variability in individual activity bursts improves ant foraging success
Author(s):		Campos D; Bartumeus F; Mendez V; Andrade JS; Espadaler X;
Address:		"Grup de Fisica Estadistica, Departament de Fisica. Facultat de Ciencies, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain daniel.campos@uab.es. Centre de Recerca en Ecologia i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain. Theoretical and Computational Ecology Lab (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes 17300, Spain. Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain. Grup de Fisica Estadistica, Departament de Fisica. Facultat de Ciencies, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain. Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, 60451-970, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil"
Journal Title:		J R Soc Interface
Year:		2016
Volume:		13
Issue:		125
Page Number:		-
DOI:		10.1098/rsif.2016.0856
ISSN/ISBN:		1742-5662 (Electronic) 1742-5689 (Print) 1742-5662 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Using experimental and computational methods, we study the role of behavioural variability in activity bursts (or temporal activity patterns) for individual and collective regulation of foraging in A. senilis ants. First, foraging experiments were carried out under special conditions (low densities of ants and food and absence of external cues or stimuli) where individual-based strategies are most prevalent. By using marked individuals and recording all foraging trajectories, we were then able to precisely quantify behavioural variability among individuals. Our main conclusions are that (i) variability of ant trajectories (turning angles, speed, etc.) is low compared with variability of temporal activity profiles, and (ii) this variability seems to be driven by plasticity of individual behaviour through time, rather than the presence of fixed behavioural stereotypes or specialists within the group. The statistical measures obtained from these experimental foraging patterns are then used to build a general agent-based model (ABM) which includes the most relevant properties of ant foraging under natural conditions, including recruitment through pheromone communication. Using the ABM, we are able to provide computational evidence that the characteristics of individual variability observed in our experiments can provide a functional advantage (in terms of foraging success) to the group; thus, we propose the biological basis underpinning our observations. Altogether, our study reveals the potential utility of experiments under simplified (laboratory) conditions for understanding information-gathering in biological systems"
Keywords:		"Animals Ants/*physiology Behavior, Animal/*physiology *Computer Simulation *Models, Biological Social Behavior agent-based models random walk search theory;"
Notes:		"MedlineCampos, Daniel Bartumeus, Frederic Mendez, Vicenc Andrade, Jose S Jr Espadaler, Xavier eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2016/12/16 J R Soc Interface. 2016 Dec; 13(125):20160856. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0856"