A surprising fact: Ants were ahead of humans in social distancing.

 Ants Distance Themselves in the Face of Pandemics 

A Surprising Surprise: Ants Preceded Humans in Social Distancing

When the coronavirus pandemic swept the world several years ago, humans followed social distancing rules to avoid contact with the sick, transmission of the infection, and the spread of the disease. 

They erected transparent barriers between employees and customers in offices and banks, implemented work-from-home systems and closed-circuit education, and signs appeared in public places urging people to maintain a safe distance of at least six feet between those standing or sitting in the same space.

Engineering Modifications to Their Nests

However, a recent study has proven that humans were not the first to recognize social distancing rules in the face of diseases and epidemics, and that some creatures follow the same practices automatically and instinctively when exposed to any pandemic or epidemic disease.

At first glance, one might assume that chimpanzees or baboons are the ones who observe social distancing rules when exposed to illness or epidemics, given their close relationship to humans among all creatures in terms of intelligence and social traits. 

However, surprisingly, a British research team discovered that ants make engineering modifications to their nests in the event of disease to prevent the spread of infection. They build larger nests with entrances and exits spaced further apart, and they don't dig direct passageways connecting chambers within a single nest.

Luke Leakey, a biological scientist at the University of Bristol, said: "We already knew that ants modify their digging behavior based on factors such as soil type and temperature, but this is the first time it has been shown that non-human creatures can modify their environment to limit the spread of disease."

180 Ants in Containers

In a study published in the journal Science, researchers placed 180 ants in containers filled with soil and allowed them to build a nest over the course of a day. They then added 20 more ants to each container, including 10 infected with specific parasites, particularly fungal infections. 

The researchers allowed the ants to continue building their nests for another six days, monitoring the construction process using micro-computed tomography (MCT). This technique allows scientists to visualize the underground structure of the nest in three dimensions, enabling them to measure the shape of the nest and the rate of construction progress.

The researchers found that the nests built by groups of infected ants had larger chambers, longer passageways, and more widely spaced entrances, with no direct passages connecting the different chambers. As Leakey explained to the science website Popular Science, "All these engineering modifications are designed to limit the spread of infection." The researchers found that these modifications protect chambers containing food stores or ant larvae.

Self-isolating

To test this hypothesis, the researchers conducted a simulation of disease spread in 3D models of ant nests six days after the infection entered the nest. The experiment demonstrated that the engineering modifications made by the ant colony, which included infected ants, did indeed reduce the rate of disease transmission within the hive.

While these modifications had a limited impact on disease spread, the infected ants self-isolated, according to Leakey. The researcher also confirmed that the simulation proved that in the presence of an infection within the colony, the ants make engineering modifications to the nest structure, simultaneously implementing social distancing mechanisms to limit disease transmission. 

He also pointed out that ants don't automatically build nests that adhere to infection control rules, but only do so in cases of disease and epidemics. This is because, like humans, they need to build nests or habitats that facilitate the exchange of information, the transfer of resources, and direct communication among members of the same colony.

Previous Study

It's worth noting that a previous study conducted at the University of Bristol also demonstrated that once exposed to a fungal infection, infected ants spend more time outside the hive to prevent the spread of the disease. 

They also begin to increase the distance between themselves and uninfected ants to prevent infection. Researcher Natalie Stroemeite from the University of Bristol confirmed that ants instinctively employ social distancing rules to defend their nests, noting that ants "develop rapid and effective responses to combat parasites, and these measures significantly reduce the risk of infection spreading within their nests."

Stroymite added that "by reorganizing their social structure within hours of detecting an infection, ants reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading within the colony, control its transmission routes, and limit its potential to reach the queen or young workers, thus ensuring the long-term success and survival of the ant colony."

 She concluded by saying, "Ants adapt their behavior and make sacrifices to ensure the colony's continuity, which is precisely what humans did during the pandemic."