why ants?

 

How does ant research help humans? Why society should even invest in research on ants?

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We can answer these questions at many levels.

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1) Ants live in sophisticated societies where individuals communicate and cooperate, performing group-level tasks that single individuals cannot perform. Complex group behaviors emerge from elementary actions of naive individuals. Studying ants helps determining how simple individuals perform complex tasks without a leader delegating tasks to other individuals.

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2) Ants are incredibly diverse, with thousands of different species varying in shape, ecology and behavior. Studying such a diversity helps us determining how organisms adapt to their environments. This in turn helps understanding and protecting the ecosystems themselves.

 

3) Ants vary in shape and behavior even within the same colonies. Ant eggs are generally all equal, but become workers, soldiers or queens depending on the treatment they receive during their development. Investigating this plasticity helps us understanding how the same set of genes produces completely different organisms with their own specific properties.

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4) Finally, basic research is key to progress. If we don't decipher the universe, we cannot protect it or manipulate it to our advantage. Knowledge is power!