Authors: Robert Planqué Anna Dornhaus Nigel R Franks Tim Kovacs James A R Marshall
Publish Date: 2006/10/05
Volume: 61, Issue: 3, Pages: 347-356
Abstract
Animals searching for food mates or a home often need to decide when to stop looking and choose the best option found so far By reanalyzing experimental data from experiments by Mallon et al Behav Ecol Sociobiol 50352–359 2001 we demonstrate that househunting ant colonies are gradually more committed to new nests during the emigration Early in househunting individual ants were flexibly committed to new nest sites However when carrying to a new nest had started ants hardly ever switched preference Using a theoretical model based on experimental data we test at which stage flexible commitment influences speed and accuracy most We demonstrate that ant colonies have found a good compromise between impatience and procrastination Early flexibility combined with later rigidity is identically effective as other strategies that include flexible commitment but it is particularly good when emigration conditions are harsh
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