Research
Ant colonies defy aging patterns as death risk falls and reproduction rises
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- Western harvester ant colonies become less likely to die as they get older.
- As these colonies age, they become more likely to reproduce, the opposite of the usual aging pattern.
Why it matters
The finding challenges the common assumption that aging brings higher mortality and lower reproduction, which matters for aging research and evolutionary biology.
Who’s affected
- evolutionary biologists
- aging researchers
- #ants
- #aging
- #colonies
- #reproduction
- #evolution
Getting older usually brings a higher risk of death and declining reproduction. Yet for western harvester ant colonies, the opposite occurs. As a colony gets older, it becomes less likely to die and more likely to reproduce.