Modeling Networks Within Insect Colonies
Website: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275650684_Social_Insects_A_Model_System_for_Network_Dynamics
Humans are not the only organisms that can have social networks, in fact they weren’t even the first organisms to have them. Social insects, such as wasps, ants, termites, and bees, live in colonies that can include millions of members. These colonies are able to function due to the fascinating biological, informational, and especially social networks that each colony’s members belong to. In the research paper Social Insects: A Model System for Network Dynamics by Daniel Charbonneau, he and his team analyzed and documented the various networks that exist in insect colonies.
This research paper notes several fascinating examples that occur within various colonies. For instance, there is a biological network between queens and workers, as workers insects derive the majority of their genes from the queens’ DNA which allows their genetic lineage to pass on even without reproduction. In this network each insect is a node and the transfer of DNA are the edges between them. Another example of a network is the exchange of information between workers within a colony. There is a division of labor between workers so different workers perform different tasks in order to keep the colony functioning. These workers transfer information between one another by various methods, usually using pheromones. Now the nodes are worker insects and the edges are the information exchanges between them with pheromones. This network also contains strong and weak ties, as the strong ties are held between the workers that work together on their assigned roles, and weak ties are held between workers that perform different tasks. These workers still interact but do not hold as strong a relationship as the others do since they don’t interact as often. These are just several of the networks that researchers modeled to see their similarities and differences with those involving humans.
I found this article fascinating seeing the a real life example of the networks we discussed in class. Networks can be found in nature, and without the networks that social insects are in, colonies wouldn’t be able to function the way they do. Considering that the majority of biomass on Earth is composed of social insects, it’s reasonable to assume that there are even more complex networks amongst insects than amongst people. I think researchers will be able to explain human behavior better using network models derived from social insects and and further synergize network theory and biology.