A new study found that ants are more likely to turn left when exploring new spaces. This strategy allows them to navigate and watch out for predators.
Researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K. observed the Temnothorax albipennis ants as they navigated through nest cavities and branching mazes. The team noticed that the ants were always sticking to the left side of the wall.
The ants were initially placed in a dark nest to mimic their natural environment before the researchers destroyed it. The ants immediately left their nest and started looking for a new one in which the researchers randomly altered the maze to distract the ants from their direction. The observation remained the same - the ants kept left all the time. But why?
"The ants may be using their left eye to detect predators and their right to navigate. Also, their world is maze-like and consistently turning one way is a very good strategy to search and exit mazes," study author Edmund Hunt of the University of Bristol said in a press release.
"Furthermore, as their nest-mates are left-leaning too, there should also be safety in numbers. Consistent turning may also help the ants to monitor nest mates during house hunting. So perhaps leaning left is more shrewd than sinister."
Being a "leftie" is not new to scientists as the same behavior is even observed in humans, particularly the left-handed people. It remains a mystery why some humans are left-handed, although different theories were formed in an attempt to solve it. Some think that it is a genetic disorder that affects the development of the left-right symmetry of the body and brain. But in the case of the ants and other animals, it could be the left side of the brain protecting them from predators. Scientists refer to this as regional brain specialization of tasks.
Further details of the study were published in Dec. 24 issue of the Biology Letters.
