Evaluating Vitality

Abstract

Raiding swarms of army ants move in a coordinated fashion, following trails of pheromones laid down by the preceding ants, searching for food. Most ants simply follow the other ants, eventually obtaining food and bringing it back for the colony. But about 1% are pioneer ants, who stray from the path and chart new territory. Most pioneer ants die, but the ones that survive find new sources of food, and the trails that they create will ultimately become the paths for the rest of the colony. In this way, pioneer ants ensure the survival of the colony by always leading the ants to new sources of food.