The Ecology of Collective Behavior

Presenter: Dr. Deborah Gordon

Professor in the Department of Biology at Stanford University

Collective behavior uses feedback from local interactions to adjust to the current situation. This presentation will contrast two ant species; one that lives in the desert, in harsh but stable conditions, and the other that lives in the tropical forest, where activity is easy but conditions are unpredictable. These examples suggest patterns in how collective behavior evolves to respond to changing situations.