Bi-stability in cooperative transport by ants in the presence of obstacles
Bi-stability in cooperative transport by ants in the presence of obstacles
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006068
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发表时间：
2018-05-01
影响因子：
4.3
通讯作者：
Gov, Nir S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Ron, Jonathan E.;Pinkoviezky, Itai;Gov, Nir S.
为了合作地把大的食物搬到巢里，个体蚂蚁协调他们的努力和运动。在整个探险过程中，集体运动是由携带蚂蚁之间的内部相互作用和对新到达的蚂蚁的反应驱动的，这些蚂蚁将货物定向到巢穴。在运输过程中，搬运群必须克服阻碍他们到达巢穴的障碍。在这里，我们研究了合作运输的动力学，当蚂蚁的运动受到阻碍货物运动的线性障碍物的阻碍时。障碍物有一个狭窄的开口，这是通往巢穴的唯一通道，单个蚂蚁可以通过，但不能带着货物通过。我们为受约束环境下的反货物系统提供了一个解析模型，该模型预测了沿障碍物的振荡运动模式和靠近开口的收敛运动模式之间的双稳态动态行为。通过实验和模拟，我们展示了对于小货物尺寸，系统如何在这两种运动模式之间表现出自发的转变，这是由于施加在货物上的力的波动。双稳定性为克服障碍提供了两种可能的解决问题的策略，要么尝试通过开口，要么采取大的远足来绕过障碍。
To cooperatively carry large food items to the nest, individual ants conform their efforts and coordinate their motion. Throughout this expedition, collective motion is driven both by internal interactions between the carrying ants and a response to newly arrived informed ants that orient the cargo towards the nest. During the transport process, the carrying group must overcome obstacles that block their path to the nest. Here, we investigate the dynamics of cooperative transport, when the motion of the ants is frustrated by a linear obstacle that obstructs the motion of the cargo. The obstacle contains a narrow opening that serves as the only available passage to the nest, and through which single ants can pass but not with the cargo. We provide an analytical model for the ant-cargo system in the constrained environment that predicts a bi-stable dynamic behavior between an oscillatory mode of motion along the obstacle and a convergent mode of motion near the opening. Using both experiments and simulations, we show how for small cargo sizes, the system exhibits spontaneous transitions between these two modes of motion due to fluctuations in the applied force on the cargo. The bi-stability provides two possible problem solving strategies for overcoming the obstacle, either by attempting to pass through the opening, or take large excursions to circumvent the obstacle.