Ants are hardworking insects, but they are not capable of solving several problems at the same time. Studies have shown that while moving, they are forced to "turn off" their brain.
According to Science News, the object of the study, the results of which were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, were the small yellowish-brown ants Temnothorax albipennis that live in Europe. The life phases of working ants, which include vigorous activity and rest, alternate with each other. Having outlined a new territory for development, the ant leaves a chemical "message" to its fellows, and itself moves on its way. By releasing ants one by one into a special enclosure, scientists tried to find out how the information left by the previous ant affects the insect's path.
As a result, it turned out that the ant is able to process the trail left by its predecessor only during a pause in movement - a halt. In the course of movement, he does not react to it. Based on the data obtained, scientists have derived a mathematical model of the ant's movement, depending on the length of its limbs. As for the insect's brain, the researchers are sure that it does not work while it is moving. “By stopping to think on the move, the ant conserves energy,” the scientists summed up. We will remind, earlier researchers found that ants have the largest brain among insects in the world in relation to body size. An ant's brain makes up a quarter of its body weight.