Our results show that excavation is controlled by the density of ants and is also influenced by the structure of the sediment through which they tunnel. So, ant nest architecture is influenced by both social and environmental factors.
Novel use of CT scanning technology has allowed researchers at the University of Bristol to create a four-dimensional picture of how ants build their nests. Ant nests are some of the most remarkable structures in nature. Their relative size is rivalled only by our own skyscrapers but there is no architect or blueprint. Instead they are built collectively, through self-organization and the local interactions of ants with one another and their environment. So, how do ants decide what and where to build? To answer these questions, geologist Nicholas Minter, archaeologist, Kate Robson Brown, and biologist Professor Nigel Franks used high-resolution CT scanning to obtain repeated three-dimensional images of ant nests throughout their excavation. Previous research on ant nests involved making plaster casts but such methods are destructive. By using CT scanning, this study avoided any destruction and also allowed the researchers to scan the same nest on multiple occasions, thus making it possible to observe individual nests as they were being excavated.
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