Toward a general life history model of the superorganism: predicting the survival, growth, and reproduction of ant societies.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Toward a general life history model of the superorganism: predicting the survival, growth, and reproduction of ant societies.

AU - Shik, Jonathan Z.

AU - Hou, Chen

AU - Kay, Adam

AU - Kaspari, Michael

AU - Gillooly, JF

PY - 2012/12/23

Y1 - 2012/12/23

N2 - Social insect societies dominate many terrestrial ecosystems across the planet. Colony members cooperate to capture and use resources to maximize survival and reproduction. Yet, when compared with solitary organisms, we understand relatively little about the factors responsible for differences in the rates of survival, growth and reproduction among colonies. To explain these differences, we present a mathematical model that predicts these three rates for ant colonies based on the body sizes and metabolic rates of colony members. Specifically, the model predicts that smaller colonies tend to use more energy per gram of biomass, live faster and die younger. Model predictions are supported with data from whole colonies for a diversity of species, with much of the variation in colony-level life history explained based on physiological traits of individual ants. The theory and data presented here provide a first step towards a more general theory of colony life history that applies across species and environments.

AB - Social insect societies dominate many terrestrial ecosystems across the planet. Colony members cooperate to capture and use resources to maximize survival and reproduction. Yet, when compared with solitary organisms, we understand relatively little about the factors responsible for differences in the rates of survival, growth and reproduction among colonies. To explain these differences, we present a mathematical model that predicts these three rates for ant colonies based on the body sizes and metabolic rates of colony members. Specifically, the model predicts that smaller colonies tend to use more energy per gram of biomass, live faster and die younger. Model predictions are supported with data from whole colonies for a diversity of species, with much of the variation in colony-level life history explained based on physiological traits of individual ants. The theory and data presented here provide a first step towards a more general theory of colony life history that applies across species and environments.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1744-9561

VL - 8

SP - 1059

EP - 1062

JO - Biology Letters

JF - Biology Letters

ER -