Morphogenesis of termite mounds

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Samuel A OckoL Mahadevan

Abstract

Several species of millimetric-sized termites across Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America collectively construct large, meter-sized, porous mound structures that serve to regulate mound temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations. These mounds display varied yet distinctive morphologies that range widely in size and shape. To explain this morphological diversity, we introduce a mathematical model that couples environmental physics to insect behavior: The advection and diffusion of heat and pheromones through a porous medium are modified by the mound geometry and, in turn, modify that geometry through a minimal characterization of termite behavior. Our model captures the range of naturally observed mound shapes in terms of a minimal set of dimensionless parameters and makes testable hypotheses for the response of mound morphology to external temperature oscillations and internal odors. Our approach also suggests mechanisms by which evolutionary changes in odor production rate and construction behavior coupled to simple physical laws can alter the characteristic mound morphology of termites.

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Sep 22, 2017·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Samuel A OckoL Mahadevan

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Citations

Jul 23, 2020·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·G FacchiniS Douady
Jul 30, 2020·Ecology and Evolution·Nobuaki Mizumoto, Thomas Bourguignon
Oct 3, 2020·Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal·Sebastian OberstTheodore A Evans
Aug 26, 2020·Current Opinion in Insect Science·Sanjay P SaneSreekrishna Varma Raja
Jan 21, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Alexander HeydeL Mahadevan
May 6, 2021·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Sebastian OberstMohammed Saadatfar
Jun 21, 2021·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·H Arthur WoodsJohn S Terblanche
Jul 5, 2021·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Tadeu M FagundesNeda Yaghoobian
Nov 18, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Nobuaki Mizumoto, Thomas Bourguignon

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