The signals of life - ants use chemical messages to avoid getting trashed

Not Exactly Rocket Science
By Ed Yong
May 6, 2009 5:30 PMNov 5, 2019 12:14 AM

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We recognise dead people by the absence of signals that indicate life - movement, responsiveness, pulses, brain activity, and so on. The Argentine ant does the same, but its signal is a chemical one. Throughout its life, an ant uses chemicals in its skin to automatically send out a message to its nest-mates, saying "I'm alive. Don't throw me out." When it dies, these "chemicals of life" fade away, and their bodies are evicted.

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