Group decision making in swarms of honey bees

摘要: This study renews the analysis of honey bee swarms as decision-making units. We repeated Lindauer's observations choosing future home sites but used modern videorecording and bee-labelling techniques to produce a finer-grained description process than was possible 40 years ago. Our results both confirm findings reveal several new features process. Viewing at group level, we found: (1) scout bees in swarm find potential nest all directions distances up kilometers; (2) initially, scouts advertise dozen or more with their dances on swarm, eventually they just one site; (3) within about an hour appearance unanimity among dancers, lifts off fly chosen (4) there is crescendo dancing before liftoff, (5) site not necessarily that first advertised swarm. individual tend taper cease, so many dancers drop out each day; some switch allegiance from another, principal means consensus building for dance initially non-chosen cease altogether, site. hypothesize are programmed gradually quit this reduces possibility coming standstill groups unyielding deadlocked over two sites. point swarm's overall strategy decision making “weighted additive strategy.” most accurate also demanding terms information processing, because it takes account relevant problem. Despite being composed small-brained bees, able use weighted by distributing task evaluating alternative identifying best these