Ants Learn from Prior Navigation Mistakes

Have you ever endured a trauma (a car accident, say) and had the memories of the seconds just before the crash solidify in your mind?

Well scientists believe this is not an attempt by your psyche to give you something to be “triggered” about later – it’s evolutionary, and intended to protect you in the future should you encounter the same circumstances again. Perhaps when you encounter the same tricky intersection, for example.

Would you be surprised to learn that ants learn in much the same way?

A study out this past year confirms that ants, even with their teeny-tiny little brains, learn from prior navigation mistakes (more scientifically worded as: Rapid Aversive and Memory Trace Learning during Route Navigation in Desert Ants). <– Click link for FULL study details, courtesy Current Biology.

In exactly the same way our human brains encode experiences, with the moments just prior to an accident becoming “crystallized” in our brains, ants have a similar reaction.

In the study, ants who have survived a navigational error and have fallen into a hidden pit later adjust their behavior in light of the apparent danger; i.t., they slow down when approaching the same accident site, taking extra time to observe alternative routes to avoid the same fate.

It’s not rocket science, but it does prove memory and forethought, which many people are reluctant to ascribe to insect minds.

Thanks for reading, and drop a comment if you like! xo