Although the ant may appear to be too small to have a brain, it does, in fact, have a brain. With around 250,000 neurons, the ant's nervous system may not be as complex as that of a human, but it is capable of doing more than one might expect from an insect of its size.
Ants have so much plasticity that they can reorganize, change the shape and size of their brain in their head, and create new neural connections as they learn and adapt to the changes they encounter.
This brain plasticity has been studied in female reproductive workers of the ant species Harpegnathos saltator.
1- what is the ant?
Ant is a type of insect known for its cooperative behavior and ability to work together in large groups called colonies or nests. Ants live in highly organized societies with a division of labor and are known for efficiently collecting food and resources. They are found in many different habitats and environments all over the world.
2- what is the ant queen?
The ant queen is the most powerful and influential member of any ant colony. As the head of the colony, she is responsible for the general health and well-being of her colony and its members. She is often the largest and most genetically diverse member of the colony, and her presence is essential in preserving the strength and stability of the colony as a whole. The ant queen lays all the eggs in the colony, which are then cared for by her workers.
3- How do ants live?
Ant colonies follow a similar social structure where the queen is the central figure. The queen is responsible for maintaining the colony's offspring and deciding the sex of the young. Fertilized eggs result in female ants, while unfertilized eggs result in males. If the fertilized egg is well-cared for, it can develop into a queen. However, most of them become workers who cannot reproduce and take care of the colony's day-to-day maintenance. The queen has a longer lifespan compared to workers due to certain proteins, with the Indian jumper ant queen living 3 to 5 years while workers only live 7 months.
4- What happens after the death of the ant queen?
The queen ant doesn't need to gather information, forage for food or defend the colony, as these responsibilities are taken care of by the workers.
The queen and male ants mate during a mating flight, after which the queen retires to a room in the hill and can reproduce using the sperm stored from the mating flight.
The queen eventually dies of old age or any other cause. When this happens, about 70% of the female workers in the colony fight for supremacy, with a few victors emerging as false queens.
These false queens undergo drastic changes including a decrease in brain size, increased ovary size, ability to reproduce, and the loss of the ability to produce poison.
They can now live for years instead of just a few months. However, if one of the false queens fails to become the queen, she returns to being a worker by increasing her brain size and losing the ability to reproduce.
5- What is the reason for shrinking the size of the ants' brain?
Scientists used dyes to study the behavior of ants and observe the changes in their brain, liver, and ovarian tissue. The researchers found that the hormone responsible for egg formation peaked in the false queen ants, leading to a decrease in brain size by 19%.
This helps the ants to focus their energy on egg production instead of other tasks. On the other hand, workers require their visual and sensory areas of the brain to be expanded to perform their tasks effectively, which requires more processing energy.