Humans will provide education and care for some of their young so they can grow to better fill particular roles.
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The primary mechanism seems to be how much they feed the larvae before it undergoes metamorphosis.
@futurebird Is that “decided” by nursing ants or do they get instructions from others? Like soldiers who experience the threat.
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@futurebird Is that “decided” by nursing ants or do they get instructions from others? Like soldiers who experience the threat.
It seems to be a decision made by the nursing ants, probably based on how much food the foragers bring back and other factors.
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Humans will provide education and care for some of their young so they can grow to better fill particular roles.
Ants also do this, though calling it "education" could be controversial. Nonetheless an ant colony in need of more powerful fighters due to being attacked will feed some of the larvae more so they grow up to be good at defending the colony.
Ants without such threats may produce more ants good at other tasks.
Do any other animals do this besides humans and ants?
@futurebird felines will train/educate each other in hunting and socialization skills. Not sure how role-based this is.
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Humans will provide education and care for some of their young so they can grow to better fill particular roles.
Ants also do this, though calling it "education" could be controversial. Nonetheless an ant colony in need of more powerful fighters due to being attacked will feed some of the larvae more so they grow up to be good at defending the colony.
Ants without such threats may produce more ants good at other tasks.
Do any other animals do this besides humans and ants?
@futurebird Lots of animals instruct their young, but it's mostly through example and play. Peregrine Falcons, for example, teach their young to hunt by having the fledglings chase them around while the parents periodically toss bits of food at them.
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@futurebird Lots of animals instruct their young, but it's mostly through example and play. Peregrine Falcons, for example, teach their young to hunt by having the fledglings chase them around while the parents periodically toss bits of food at them.
I'm not just talking about teaching, which happens in many ways across the animal kingdom. I'm talking about training for a particular role.
eg. you will do ballet lessons from age 3 so you are skilled and flexible to be a dancer.
Or you will be twenty times as large as most of the other ants so you can have a big head with the bite force to deter the curious myrmecologist.
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I'm not just talking about teaching, which happens in many ways across the animal kingdom. I'm talking about training for a particular role.
eg. you will do ballet lessons from age 3 so you are skilled and flexible to be a dancer.
Or you will be twenty times as large as most of the other ants so you can have a big head with the bite force to deter the curious myrmecologist.
@futurebird I don't think many animals have caste systems like that, no. I'm not sure it's a great idea for us to be doing that either. Or maybe it is, I flip back and forth on this topic.
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I'm not just talking about teaching, which happens in many ways across the animal kingdom. I'm talking about training for a particular role.
eg. you will do ballet lessons from age 3 so you are skilled and flexible to be a dancer.
Or you will be twenty times as large as most of the other ants so you can have a big head with the bite force to deter the curious myrmecologist.
@futurebird Interesting thoughts, I have never considered that, I guess that in order to be applicable the species need some kind of role/caste/something structure. Unless one count specialisation on certain preys ... I'm not sure there are any besides humans and the hive-gangs?
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@futurebird I don't think many animals have caste systems like that, no. I'm not sure it's a great idea for us to be doing that either. Or maybe it is, I flip back and forth on this topic.
@StarkRG @futurebird human caste systems? Look at India.
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@futurebird Interesting thoughts, I have never considered that, I guess that in order to be applicable the species need some kind of role/caste/something structure. Unless one count specialisation on certain preys ... I'm not sure there are any besides humans and the hive-gangs?
@GoblinQuester @futurebird
I had a quick look to see if naked mole rats qualify, but wikipedia isn't very clear - there are different castes/roles, but it's not spelled out how much, if anything, might be due to older individuals' behaviour. -
@GoblinQuester @futurebird
I had a quick look to see if naked mole rats qualify, but wikipedia isn't very clear - there are different castes/roles, but it's not spelled out how much, if anything, might be due to older individuals' behaviour.@Anke @futurebird Yes, those small ratties, forgot about them. Don't know much about them either
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@StarkRG @futurebird human caste systems? Look at India.
@elight @futurebird Yeah, though there are less extreme examples around the world. Like the class system in the UK, or Hollywood dynasties. On the one hand, having expectations can be smothering and restrictive, but it can also be freeing, you never have to figure out what it is you should be doing with your life.
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Humans will provide education and care for some of their young so they can grow to better fill particular roles.
Ants also do this, though calling it "education" could be controversial. Nonetheless an ant colony in need of more powerful fighters due to being attacked will feed some of the larvae more so they grow up to be good at defending the colony.
Ants without such threats may produce more ants good at other tasks.
Do any other animals do this besides humans and ants?
@futurebird the phrasing of this observation reminds me of how the US developed school lunch programs during WWII as a direct response to widespread malnutrition in draftees. Well fed children make better conscript soldiers
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