Fig. 3.

Comparison of modeling predictions and experimental data. (A) Growth in the number of ants participating in chain formation as a function of time for experimental data (purple), distance-dependent model predictions (orange), and distance-independent model predictions (green). The number of ants in the chain is calculated as the difference between the number of ants joining the chain and the number of ants leaving the chain. Measurements are given for each experimental condition: 25 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm. (B) Number of ants in the chain predicted by the distance-dependent model (orange dots) and the distance-independent model (green dots) as a function of the number of ants measured experimentally. Solid lines and confidence intervals are calculated using a total least square regression. Comparison is given for each experimental condition: 25 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm.