Ants also teach and learn

British researchers say they have discovered the first evidence of teaching in a non-human animal. Known ants only lead each other to the source of food.

Scientists at Bristol University have studied ant colonies for two years and found them to use a technique called "tail-running" - one leads the other from the nest to the food source.

This is the case of true teaching because the first ants will slow down if the following children are dropped. When the distance is narrowed, they accelerate.

The leaders must be disadvantaged because they can reach the place where the food is 4 times faster if traveling alone. But teaching will benefit because the ants will learn how to get to where the food source is much faster.

Information will be transmitted through ant colonies when the latter will become leaders for the aftermath and the teaching process is started everywhere.

"Teaching is more than just imitation. There the teacher adjusts his behavior when he knows that a naive observer is suffering a certain loss," Professor Nigel Franks said. "This is the first case of formal teaching in non-human animals."

"What's interesting is that ants are a species with a small brain. The human brain is a million times bigger but ants can still teach and learn well."

MT . (according to Reuters)