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wubrgess t1_iqquv25 wrote

Reply to comment by Reviewingremy in How do ants find their way back "home"? by DanieleJava

They also count and retrace their steps

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nightzirch t1_iqsavyz wrote

This some scientists discovered by giving the ants stilts. Think about that. Someone thought of it, someone designed and made the tiniest stilts, then someone had to put them on some ants.

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cr34th0r t1_iqsf80b wrote

Even with stilts, how did they prove that the ant counts its steps?

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Etiennera t1_iqsgorj wrote

With stilts each step is longer. The ants would make the same amount of steps thus overshooting on the return.

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trustmeimadoctordk t1_iqsnkhh wrote

And crazy enough, they had a stilts, no stilts, and a amputated half the legs group, and the ones with half sized legs undershot their target. I just cant help but wonder if the amputated ants got the stilts afterwards.....

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cr34th0r t1_iqxopl1 wrote

Sounds kinda brutal to amputate some legs just to triple-check that your hypothesis is correct.

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amaurea t1_iqy7hau wrote

This was found for desert ants, but I haven't heard of it being shown for other ants. Can any experts here say if it's thought that step counting is an important mechanisms for ants in general?

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