Ants: a model of adaptation

Not all ant colonies are the same! Eddie Pérochon, a doctoral student at the University of Lausanne, reveals how their social structure varies according to environment. This groundbreaking global study shows that in the tropics, a single queen is sufficient, while the desert favors large colonies with several queens. Worker morphology also changes with habitat. These adaptations are essential for the survival of a species that has colonized the entire planet, with the exception of Antarctica.