Self-synchronization and task fulfilment in ant colonies

Some authors have hypothesized that the observed self-synchronized activity in ant colonies provides some adaptive advantages, and, in particular, it has been suggested that task realization may benefit from this ordered temp oral pattern of behaviour (Robinson, 1992, Ann. Rev. Entomol, 37, 637-702; Hatcher et al., 1992, Naturwissenschaften, 79, 32-34). In this paper, we us e a model of self-synchronized activity (the fluid neural network) to sugge st that with self-synchronized patterns of activity a task may be fulfiled more effectively than with non-synchronized activity, at the same average l evel of activity per individual. (C) 2000 Academic Press.