Figure 3.
Early success or failure determines task specialization in Cerapachys biroi ants.41 Age matched cohorts of ants with very low genetic diversity were subdivided into two groups that differed in terms of their foraging success in early adult life. One group was regularly rewarded when exploring the nest's surrounding, whereas the other never found any food. Weeks later, individuals that had been successful explorers in early life showed a much higher propensity to continue exploring, whereas their unsuccessful sisters showed a stronger tendency to care for brood inside the nest. Data approximate; redrawn from ref. 41.