A new study has revealed that ants are smarter than we thought. Ants can connect multiple sites in the shortest possible way, and in doing so, create very efficient transport networks. An international team has also found that ants can solve network design problems without a leader or a plan by using trial and error, then honing in on the most efficient solution. The findings are published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Dr Tanya Latty of Sydney University, the study's lead author, said the ants make as many trails as possible, then prune them back to the most efficient configuration.