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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		Morphogenesis of termite mounds
Author(s):		Ocko SA; Heyde A; Mahadevan L;
Address:		"Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; lmahadev@g.harvard.edu. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		2019
Volume:		20190211
Issue:		9
Page Number:		3379 - 3384
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.1818759116
ISSN/ISBN:		1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Several species of millimetric-sized termites across Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America collectively construct large, meter-sized, porous mound structures that serve to regulate mound temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations. These mounds display varied yet distinctive morphologies that range widely in size and shape. To explain this morphological diversity, we introduce a mathematical model that couples environmental physics to insect behavior: The advection and diffusion of heat and pheromones through a porous medium are modified by the mound geometry and, in turn, modify that geometry through a minimal characterization of termite behavior. Our model captures the range of naturally observed mound shapes in terms of a minimal set of dimensionless parameters and makes testable hypotheses for the response of mound morphology to external temperature oscillations and internal odors. Our approach also suggests mechanisms by which evolutionary changes in odor production rate and construction behavior coupled to simple physical laws can alter the characteristic mound morphology of termites"
Keywords:		"Africa Animals Asia Australia Behavior, Animal/*physiology *Ecosystem Isoptera/*physiology Morphogenesis/*physiology Pheromones/metabolism South America Temperature animal architecture convection niche construction porous media termite mound;"
Notes:		"MedlineOcko, Samuel A Heyde, Alexander Mahadevan, L eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2019/02/28 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Feb 26; 116(9):3379-3384. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1818759116. Epub 2019 Feb 11"