Ants and humans have a lot in common at the level of genes and proteins: Numerous studies have shown that ants also possess the genetic basis of a hormone system based on the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin, which, for instance, contribute to the formation of social bonds and the regulation of the water homeostasis in humans. An Austrian research team led by Christian Gruber from the Institute of Pharmacology at MedUni Vienna has now elucidated the function of this signalling system in ants. The scientists demonstrate that the oxytocin-vasopressin hormone system regulates foraging, locomotor activity and metabolism in ants.