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Brief Communications
Nature 439, 153 (12 January 2006) | doi:10.1038/439153a; Published online 11 January 2006
Teaching in tandem-running ants
Nigel R. Franks1 & Tom Richardson1
Abstract
Tapping into the dialogue between leader and follower reveals an unexpected social skill.
Abstract
The ant Temnothorax albipennis uses a technique known as tandem running to lead another ant from the nest to food —with signals between the two ants controlling both the speed and course of the run. Here we analyse the results of this communication and show that tandem running is an example of teaching, to our knowledge the first in a non-human animal1, 2, 3, that involves bidirectional feedback between teacher and pupil. This behaviour indicates that it could be the value of information, rather than the constraint of brain size, that has influenced the evolution of teaching.
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