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Why do ants dig surface paths?
A few days ago I observed a corridor built and used by ants that went over a path in fields:
Why do they build it? It seems it doesn't bring any considerable protection from the surrounding ...
3
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1answer
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What mechanisms do animals living in groups (herds, packs, swarms) have against spreading contagious diseases?
While for example a wolf pack provides protection to a sick wolf, increasing its chance of survival, there is a risk of infecting other members of the pack, decreasing their total chance of survival.
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Modern reference for Kropotkin's lazy bees
I have been reading through Peter Kropotkin's Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution and he mentions a curious fact about bees (bolding by me for emphasis):
predatory instincts and laziness continue to ...
17
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1answer
242 views
Why do ants live so long?
I was surprised to learn that worker ants in some species live many years. I would have expected a lifespan of a few weeks or months (which is apparently the case for many species).
What factors ...
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2answers
296 views
What are the trajectories of flying insects?
Many flying insects tend to have very jagged trajectories. For moves of a fruit fly looks like a random walk.
Is there any research on the properties of trajectories (e.g. their fractal dimension or ...