title: Social isolation and brain development in the ant Camponotus floridanus.
abstract: Social interactions play a key role in the healthy development of social animals and are most pronounced in species with complex social networks. When developing offspring do not receive proper social interaction, they show developmental impairments. This effect is well documented in mammalian species but controversial in social insects. It has been hypothesized that the enlargement of the mushroom bodies, responsible for learning and memory, observed in social insects is needed for maintaining the large social networks and/or task allocation. This study examines the impact of social isolation on the development of mushroom bodies of the ant Camponotus floridanus. Ants raised in isolation were shown to exhibit impairment in the growth of the mushroom bodies as well as behavioral differences when compared to ants raised in social groups. These results indicate that social interaction is necessary for the proper development of C. floridanus mushroom bodies.
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience, The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA. marc.seid@scranton.edu.|Biology Department, The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA. marc.seid@scranton.edu.
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Seid
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience, The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Junge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D024521:Mushroom Bodies / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D012934:Social Isolation
keywords: Ant; Camponotus floridanus; Social animals