Tiny RFID Transponders Track Ant Nesting Tactics for Science
Katie Cordrey — May 11, 2009 — Eco
References: en.wikipedia.org & telegraph
Bristol Scientists attached tiny RFIDs, (radio-frequency identification transmitters,) to ants in order to study how nesting sites are chosen. The RFIDs are so mall that two thousand of the them would fit on to a postage stamp.
Apparently, ants are very logical when moving their colonies. The scientists learned that ants send out scouts before making a final selection. In the end, ants choose a superior nest many times distant over a less well-built alternative.
This information would have been almost impossible to obtain without the RFID micro-technology to track the ants’ movements.
The video above shows ants without RFIDs moving to a warmer location to incubate their eggs.
Apparently, ants are very logical when moving their colonies. The scientists learned that ants send out scouts before making a final selection. In the end, ants choose a superior nest many times distant over a less well-built alternative.
This information would have been almost impossible to obtain without the RFID micro-technology to track the ants’ movements.
The video above shows ants without RFIDs moving to a warmer location to incubate their eggs.
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