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Natural Phenomena

Superorganism

Ecological Processes

A superorganism is a group of organisms of the same species that interact so closely, and divide labor so completely among specialized members, that the group functions as a single coordinated unit rather than as an assembly of independent individuals; a comparable arrangement among organisms of different species is called a holobiont instead. Ant colonies are the best-known example, cooperating to gather food and defend against predators, and honey bee colonies show the same pattern, collectively choosing a new nest site as one unit. Coral colonies and termite mounds, with the elaborate structures some termites build, are cited as further examples of the same collective-organism principle. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Superorganism (Wikipedia)
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