Cooperative Behavior Beyond Instinct
Despite their small brains, bees exhibit an impressive ability to cooperate and solve problems together, a study has shown. To explore the role of intelligence in this teamwork, Finnish researchers introduced bumblebees to the challenge of Lego, a popular construction toy.
Synchronized Lego-Building
"We were quite surprised by how the bees seemed to consider the others' movements and then coordinated their own movements when interacting with the Lego," said Olli Loukola, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Oulu. "This indicates amazing social intelligence in these bees."
Strategic Teamwork
In addition to the Lego task, the researchers presented the bees with a challenge in which they had to manipulate a transparent door at the end of a tunnel to access a sugar reward. They found that the first bee to reach the door was more likely to wait if its "teammate" was still behind, and it only proceeded when the other bee was on track to join it.
Cognitive Abilities Rivaling Primates and Dolphins
"The study suggests that complex cooperative behavior in social insects may often go beyond fixed or innate behaviors and that they have the capacity to learn behaviors normally associated with animals such as primates and dolphins," commented James Dorey, an Australian behavioral ecologist not involved in the study.
Further Research and Applications
The researchers say further research is needed to determine exactly what bees are paying attention to in these cooperative tasks and how well they understand their partners' roles. However, the study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that bees are far more intelligent than previously thought. The findings could also have implications for fields such as robotics and agriculture, where understanding bumblebee behavior is important.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society on May 1.