Self-organizaion of ultradian rhythm activity in colony level

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K06329
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45040:Ecology and environment-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Kikuchi Tomonori 千葉大学, 海洋バイオシステム研究センター, 准教授 (80608547)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菅原 研 東北学院大学, 教養学部, 教授 (50313424)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 自己組織化 / ウルトラディアンリズム / 社会性昆虫 / トゲオオハリアリ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the emergence of ultradian rhythms at the colony level in social insects . Our findings revealed that: 1) all castes, including queens, internal and external workers, showed ultradian rhythms, and these rhythms also differed among castes; 2) walking speed and walking activity also varied between castes and were related with colony size. Additionally, it was confirmed that contact with the queen could potentially influence the period of ultradian rhythms of workers. From these results, it is suggested that ant societies consist of individuals with different rhythms, and that interactions among individuals, particularly contact with the queen, result in the adjustment of individual rhythms, leading to the expression of rhythms at the colony level.

Free Research Field

行動生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サーかディンアンリズムに比べ、ウルトラディアンリズムの研究は少なく特に社会性昆虫では皆無であった。本申請課題の成果により、少なくともアリ類にウルトラディアンリズムとその制御因子が広く存在する可能性が示唆された。このことは、リズム活動という新たな視点から社会性を評価できる可能性があると同時に、多細胞生物である人間のサーカディアンリズムの制御と同じロジックで、集団生物のリズム活動を扱えることを示している。