Ants Offer First Example of Formal Teaching in Non-human Animals

Professor Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson from Bristol University have come up with the first proof of teaching in non-human animals - ants showing each other the way to food. The findings appear in the latest issue journal Nature. According to the researchers the ant leaders slowed down if the follower got too far behind. If the gap got smaller, they then speeded up. Professor Frank added, “teaching involves the teacher modifying its behaviour in the presence of a naive observer at some initial cost to itself. This is to our knowledge the first example of formal teaching in non-human animals"