Citation

Frank ET, Linsenmair KE. Commun. Integr. Biol. 2017; 10(5-6): e1356516.

Affiliation

Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Landes Bioscience)

DOI

10.1080/19420889.2017.1356516

PMID

29260800

PMCID

PMC5731505

Abstract

Rescue behavior focused on injured individuals has rarely been observed in animals. These observations though are from very different taxa's: birds, mammals and social insects. Here we discuss likely antecedents to rescue behaviors in ants, like social carrying and alarm pheromones. We then compare similarities and preconditions necessary for rescue behavior focused on injured individuals to evolve across taxa's: a high value of individuals, a high injury risk and social interaction. Ultimately we argue that a similar problem, how to rescue injured group members, has led to different mechanisms to save injured individuals across different taxa.

Language: en

Keywords

chemical communication; empathy; helping behavior; pro social behavior; rescue behavior; social insect