SOCIOTOMY
Charles François (2004). SOCIOTOMY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 3104.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3104 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented |
The experimental suppression of some category of specialists in a society of insects.
These experiments have been practiced in ants and in bees colonies. (C.D. MICHENER, 1974). They lead to a regression of some furtherly specialized workers to a former state, together with a physiological rejuvenation of the affected insects. This is seemingly understandable only as a result of a social regulation affecting the anthill or the beehive as a whole, and based on complex physiological reactions of the whole community.