DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Dissecting ant societies: elucidating how colony size affects brain and behavioral specializations

本论文旨在了解蚂蚁社会中大脑解剖学与任务专业化之间的关系。本研究开发了一个金合欢蚂蚁的模型实验系统，金合欢蚂蚁在金合欢植物的空心刺中共生筑巢，以金合欢植物产生的食物为食，反过来保护金合欢植物。金合欢蚁是这项研究的理想对象，因为工蚁的外形相似，但表现出不同的行为群体，它们专门从事对社会协调运作至关重要的不同任务。该研究专门测试了(1)任务专业化是否与不同的大脑结构相关；(2)社会规模如何影响工人的行为和神经解剖学专业化。这项研究有助于理解动物的社会性。这项研究将是第一次使用一个蚂蚁物种的多个行为群体来探索大脑和行为之间的联系，同时控制工蚁的形态。这项研究还将深入了解蚂蚁的大脑解剖结构，这些结构严重依赖视觉刺激和视觉交流。这些调查涉及巴拿马、哥斯达黎加和美国的合作研究人员，以及哥斯达黎加和巴拿马的实地地点。作为研究的一部分，博士实习生正在指导哥斯达黎加大学一名女学生的硕士论文。德克萨斯大学的本科生和一名高中生正在用数字技术重建大脑解剖结构。受训者还通过定期向学生、学校教师、公园护林员和自然主义者导游介绍研究成果。

This dissertation research seeks to understand how brain anatomy correlates with task-specialization within ant societies. The research develops a model experimental system of acacia ants, which nest symbiotically in hollow spines of acacia plants, feed on food produced by the plant, and in return protect the plant. Acacia ants are ideal for this study because workers are similar in shape but exhibit distinct behavioral groups that are specialized on different tasks critical for the coordinated functioning of the society. The research specifically tests (1) whether task-specialization correlates with different brain structures; and (2) how society size affects the behavioral and neuro-anatomical specialization among workers. The research contributes to the understanding of animal sociality. The research will be the first to use multiple behavioral groups of an ant species to explore the links between brain and behavior, while controlling for worker morphology. The study will also provide insights into the poorly understood brain anatomy of ants that rely heavily on visual stimuli and visual communication. The investigations involve collaborating researchers in Panama, Costa Rica, and the USA, as well as field sites in Costa Rica and Panama. As part of the research, the doctoral trainee is supervising the Master's thesis of a female student from the Universidad de Costa Rica. Undergraduate students from the University of Texas and a high school student are digitally reconstructing brain anatomy. The trainee also disseminates research results through regular presentations to students, schoolteachers, park rangers, and naturalist guides.