Corrupt ants

Mar 13 2008

Ants may be held up as models of social cooperation, but new research suggests they can be as corrupt and selfish as human beings.

The insects have always been thought to work together for the benefit of the colony rather than for individual gain.

But scientists have discovered that some ants are able to cheat the system, ensuring their offspring become reproductive queens rather than sterile workers.

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.