Communication networks in social insect colonies
About the project
Effective decision-making and coordination in all forms of large, complex groups requires well-organised and structured communication.
Information must be communicated and processed selectively to relevant functional subgroups and then integrated across the entire collective to balance demands and available resources group-wide. Our understanding of how communication structures enable large groups to achieve a balance between local and global information processing is limited.
This project investigates the origin and structure of emergent communication networks in large, complex societies and how these effectively balance local and global information processing. We use task allocation in social insect colonies as an established model system for our investigation.
Researchers involved
Project partners
- Professor Dr Tim Landgraf, Free University Berlin
- Professor Dr Iain Couzin, Max Planck Institute Animal Behaviour
- Dr Chris Reid, Macquarie University
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