Ants Use Brawn, Brains to Lift Heavy Objects

Ants have an astonishing ability to mix collective muscle with individual initiative for heavy lifting, a new study has revealed.

 

The study shows how a dozen or more ants working in unison to haul, say, a large insect can adjust their course based on intelligence provided by a single ant joining the effort.

 

Realising somehow that the group is off-course or headed for trouble, the "scout" subtly signals a needed change in direction by tugging at a different angle.

 

Rather than resisting, the other ants fall into line, researchers report in the journal Nature Communications.