The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been found to play a significant role in controlling behavior critical to how ant colonies function, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at ...

The emergent complexity of ant societies is one of the most fascinating phenomena in the natural world: how do these tiny creatures form such intricate social networks? These networks are so nuanced ...

Deep inside an ant nest, some of the youngest members are primed to die for the group. When infection strikes, these baby ...

Researchers have observed sick adult ants leaving their colony to avoid sickening others. Now, they've discovered that ...

The behavior prevents fungal pathogens from spreading through the colony Researchers call it "altruistic disease signaling" that protects the ant superorganism In a rare example of biological altruism ...

Scientists believe ants change their behavior—and have the insect equivalent of taking a day off sick—when they are exposed to pathogens, in order to protect the colony. The research, published in the ...

It was a cloudy spring day in late March and the temperature was just above 40 degrees. After several days of damp weather and cooler temperatures, I decided to take a walk along the Ice Age Trail on ...

In many animals, including ants, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) ensures normal brain function by controlling the movement of various substances in and out of the brain. Now, researchers reporting in ...

Why would an ant walk in an endless circle until it dies of starvation and exhaustion? Known as an ant death spiral, or circular milling, this deadly phenomenon can cause hundreds of ants to follow ...

The scientist E.O. Wilson once wrote that ants are the most warlike of all animals. He said clashes between ant colonies could make great military clashes seem almost small by comparison. Sometimes, ...

Research shows that some ant species have learned how to treat their wounds, revealing one of the clearest examples of medical behavior outside humans. Medicine has been considered a uniquely human ...