![]() | Ant Encounters: Interaction Networks and Colony Behavior How do ant colonies get anything done, when no one is in charge? An ant colony operates without a central control or hierarchy, and no ant directs another. Instead, ants decide what to do based on the rate, rhythm, and pattern of individual encounters and interactions--resulting in a dynamic network that coordinates the functions of the colony. Ant Encounters provides a revealing and accessible look into ant behavior from this complex systems perspective. Deborah M. Gordon is professor of biology at Stanford University. She is the author of Ants at Work (Norton). |
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