Neuroscience
A form of teaching by a (non-human) animal has been demonstrated for the first time. No, it wasn’t by a chimp or a dolphin, it was one ant teaching another.
Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson at the University of Bristol argue that for a behaviour to be classed as teaching in the strictest sense, it must be shown that, at some cost to itself, the ‘teacher’ changes its behaviour in the presence of a naïve ‘pupil’, together with evidence that the ‘pupil’ learns something from the interaction.
Franks and Richardson videoed what’s been dubbed ‘tandem running’, in which an ant (of the Temnothorax albipennis variety) that knows the route from the nest to food, leads the way, teaching the journey to a follower as it does so. During this behaviour, the teacher only continues its run to the food when it can feel the tapping on its legs and abdomen of the following ant’s antennae.
The cost for the teacher ant is that the journey from the nest to the food when it’s teaching is four times slower than when it completes the route on its own. The researchers showed the benefit to ants in the role of pupil was that they consistently found the food more quickly when tandem running behind a teacher, compared with when searching alone. Moreover, the ‘pupil’ ants later became teachers themselves when they subsequently passed knowledge of the route onto other naïve ants.
“Our demonstration of teaching behaviour in an ant shows that a big brain is not a prerequisite”, the researchers said.
__________________________________
Franks, N.R. & Richardson, T. (2006). Teaching in tandem-running ants. Nature, 439, 153.
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
Link to movie of the teaching ants in action
- Upcoming Events For Psychology Teachers In The Uk
Marking Essays, Making Lectures Interesting, and Getting Students to Participate in Small Groups. 15 February 2006, University of West England, Bristol. Flexible Delivery - What Does it Mean and What are the Implications for Teaching Psychology? 24 February...
- The Right Teaching
Given the right support from their teacher, five to six-year-old children who are struggling at school can be prevented from falling further behind year on year. Whereas most previous research has tended to focus on class size and teacher-to-pupil ratios,...
- Swarm Intelligence: Ants And The Collective Mind
Carl Zimmer has a piece in tomorrow's New York Times about swarm intelligence. Read Carl's blog The Loom at this link. From Ants to People, an Instinct to Swarm Carl Zimmer 13 November 2007 The New York Times If you have ever observed ants marching...
- Lj Teaching Award
In advance of my upcoming article in Library Journal on teaching LIS as an adjunct (woo! look for it in the June 15 issue), comes this exciting announcement: "The LJ Teaching Award, sponsored by ProQuest, recognizes excellence in educating the next generation...
- Do You Love Math Or Science? Gain Teaching Experience For Graduate School While Earning A $150 Tlpl 101 Teaching Scholarship!
TLPL 101 Teaching Opportunity Here's a chance to try teaching and earn a $150 scholarship for completing the course with a "B" grade or higher. The course will focus on inquiry-based teaching. You will strengthen your oral communication and organization...
Neuroscience
First ever example of teaching by an animal
A form of teaching by a (non-human) animal has been demonstrated for the first time. No, it wasn’t by a chimp or a dolphin, it was one ant teaching another.Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson at the University of Bristol argue that for a behaviour to be classed as teaching in the strictest sense, it must be shown that, at some cost to itself, the ‘teacher’ changes its behaviour in the presence of a naïve ‘pupil’, together with evidence that the ‘pupil’ learns something from the interaction.
Franks and Richardson videoed what’s been dubbed ‘tandem running’, in which an ant (of the Temnothorax albipennis variety) that knows the route from the nest to food, leads the way, teaching the journey to a follower as it does so. During this behaviour, the teacher only continues its run to the food when it can feel the tapping on its legs and abdomen of the following ant’s antennae.
The cost for the teacher ant is that the journey from the nest to the food when it’s teaching is four times slower than when it completes the route on its own. The researchers showed the benefit to ants in the role of pupil was that they consistently found the food more quickly when tandem running behind a teacher, compared with when searching alone. Moreover, the ‘pupil’ ants later became teachers themselves when they subsequently passed knowledge of the route onto other naïve ants.
“Our demonstration of teaching behaviour in an ant shows that a big brain is not a prerequisite”, the researchers said.
__________________________________
Franks, N.R. & Richardson, T. (2006). Teaching in tandem-running ants. Nature, 439, 153.
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
Link to movie of the teaching ants in action
- Upcoming Events For Psychology Teachers In The Uk
Marking Essays, Making Lectures Interesting, and Getting Students to Participate in Small Groups. 15 February 2006, University of West England, Bristol. Flexible Delivery - What Does it Mean and What are the Implications for Teaching Psychology? 24 February...
- The Right Teaching
Given the right support from their teacher, five to six-year-old children who are struggling at school can be prevented from falling further behind year on year. Whereas most previous research has tended to focus on class size and teacher-to-pupil ratios,...
- Swarm Intelligence: Ants And The Collective Mind
Carl Zimmer has a piece in tomorrow's New York Times about swarm intelligence. Read Carl's blog The Loom at this link. From Ants to People, an Instinct to Swarm Carl Zimmer 13 November 2007 The New York Times If you have ever observed ants marching...
- Lj Teaching Award
In advance of my upcoming article in Library Journal on teaching LIS as an adjunct (woo! look for it in the June 15 issue), comes this exciting announcement: "The LJ Teaching Award, sponsored by ProQuest, recognizes excellence in educating the next generation...
- Do You Love Math Or Science? Gain Teaching Experience For Graduate School While Earning A $150 Tlpl 101 Teaching Scholarship!
TLPL 101 Teaching Opportunity Here's a chance to try teaching and earn a $150 scholarship for completing the course with a "B" grade or higher. The course will focus on inquiry-based teaching. You will strengthen your oral communication and organization...