S. C. Pratt

Cryptic functional diversity in ant tandem runs

This study identifies functional differences in tandem running between two ant genera by analyzing recruitment networks and information flow.

Weaver ants regulate the rate of prey delivery during collective vertical transport

This study investigates how weaver ants adjust prey delivery rates during vertical transport, finding that they maintain a stable delivery rate despite varying inclines and prey masses.

Naïve individuals promote collective exploration in homing pigeons

The paper studies how naive and experienced homing pigeons balance exploration and exploitation in route learning, finding that pairs alternate leadership to enhance collective discovery.

Coordination of movement via complementary interactions of leaders and followers in termite mating pairs

The paper studies movement coordination in termite mating pairs, showing that species-specific pheromone responses and information flow shape stable pairings despite differences in pheromone production.

The Power of Social Information in Ant-Colony House-Hunting: A Computational Modeling Approach

This paper develops a computational model of ant-colony house-hunting behavior, showing how social information influences consensus and decision-making.

Revealing the structure of information flows discriminates similar animal social behaviors

The paper uses information-theoretic methods to analyze social behavior in ants and termites, revealing distinct communication protocols despite similar behaviors.

Division of labor promotes the spread of information in colony emigrations by the ant Temnothorax rugatulus

The paper studies how behavioral heterogeneity in ant colonies affects information spread during emigration, identifying four distinct worker castes.

Parameter tuning facilitates the evolution of diverse tunneling patterns in termites

This study shows that termite tunneling patterns evolve through parameter tuning of shared behaviors rather than new behaviors, with some species showing convergent patterns despite different behavioral rules.