Swarm cognition in honey bees

We synthesize findings from neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral biology to show that some key features of cognition in the neuron-based brains of vertebrates are also present in the insect-based swarm of honey bees. We present our ideas in the context of the cognitive task of nest-site selectio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral ecology and sociobiology 2008, Vol.62 (3), p.401-414
Main Authors: Passino, Kevin M, Seeley, Thomas D, Visscher, P. Kirk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal cognition
Animal Ecology
Apis mellifera
Bee dances
Bees
Behavioral biology
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cognition
Collective intelligence
Decision making
Group decision making
Honey
Honey bees
Insect behavior
Insect nests
Insect swarming
Insect swarms
Life Sciences
Memory
Nesting sites
Original Paper
Site selection
Swarm cognition
Vertebrates
Zoology
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Description
Summary:We synthesize findings from neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral biology to show that some key features of cognition in the neuron-based brains of vertebrates are also present in the insect-based swarm of honey bees. We present our ideas in the context of the cognitive task of nest-site selection by honey bee swarms. After reviewing the mechanisms of distributed evidence gathering and processing that are the basis of decision making in bee swarms, we point out numerous similarities in the functional organization of vertebrate brains and honey bee swarms. These include the existence of interconnected subunits, parallel processing of information, a spatially distributed memory, layered processing of information, lateral inhibition, and mechanisms of focusing attention on critical stimuli. We also review the performance of simulated swarms in standard psychological tests of decision making: tests of discrimination ability and assessments of distractor effects.
ISSN:0340-5443
1432-0762
DOI:10.1007/s00265-007-0468-1