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Efficiency and robustness of ant colony transportation networks

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Abstract

Efficient and robust transportation networks are key to the effectiveness of many natural systems. In polydomous ant colonies, which consist of two or more spatially separated but socially connected nests, resources must be transported between nests. In this study, we analyse the network structure of the inter-nest trails formed by natural polydomous ant colonies. In contrast to previous laboratory studies, the natural colonies in our study do not form minimum spanning tree networks. Instead the networks contain extra connections, suggesting that in natural colonies, robustness may be an important factor in network construction. Spatial analysis shows that nests are randomly distributed within the colony boundary and we find nests are most likely to connect to their nearest neighbours. However, the network structure is not entirely determined by spatial associations. By showing that the networks do not minimise total trail length and are not determined only by spatial associations, the results suggest that the inter-nest networks produced by ant colonies are influenced by previously unconsidered factors. We show that the transportation networks of polydomous ant colonies balance trail costs with the construction of networks that enable efficient transportation of resources. These networks therefore provide excellent examples of effective biological transport networks which may provide insight into the design and management of transportation systems.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the manuscript. Z Cook is supported by a NERC studentship. EJH Robinson acknowledges funding from the Royal Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Zoe Cook, Daniel W. Franks & Elva J. H. Robinson

  2. Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Zoe Cook, Daniel W. Franks & Elva J. H. Robinson

  3. Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Daniel W. Franks

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  1. Zoe Cook
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Correspondence to Zoe Cook.

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Communicated by D. Naug

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Cook, Z., Franks, D.W. & Robinson, E.J.H. Efficiency and robustness of ant colony transportation networks. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 68, 509–517 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1665-8

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