Computational exploration of treadmilling and protrusion growth observed in fire ant rafts.

ABSTRACT: Collective living systems regularly achieve cooperative emergent functions that individual organisms could not accomplish alone. The rafts of fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are often studied in this context for their ability to create aggregated structures comprised entirely of their own bodies, including tether-like protrusions that facilitate exploration of and escape from flooded environments. While similar protrusions are observed in cytoskeletons and cellular aggregates, they are generally dependent on morphogens or external gradients leaving the isolated role of local interactions poorly understood. Here we demonstrate through an ant-inspired, agent-based numerical model how protrusions in ant rafts may emerge spontaneously due to local interactions. The model is comprised of a conde

SUBMITTER: Wagner RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8890740 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature