1
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Ogino M, Farine DR. Collective intelligence facilitates emergent resource partitioning through frequency-dependent learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230177. [PMID: 39034703 PMCID: PMC11293853 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Deciding where to forage must not only account for variations in habitat quality but also where others might forage. Recent studies have suggested that when individuals remember recent foraging outcomes, negative frequency-dependent learning can allow them to avoid resources exploited by others (indirect competition). This process can drive the emergence of consistent differences in resource use (resource partitioning) at the population level. However, indirect cues of competition can be difficult for individuals to sense. Here, we propose that information pooling through collective decision-making-i.e. collective intelligence-can allow populations of group-living animals to more effectively partition resources relative to populations of solitary animals. We test this hypothesis by simulating (i) individuals preferring to forage where they were recently successful and (ii) cohesive groups that choose one resource using a majority rule. While solitary animals can partially avoid indirect competition through negative frequency-dependent learning, resource partitioning is more likely to emerge in populations of group-living animals. Populations of larger groups also better partition resources than populations of smaller groups, especially in environments with more choices. Our results give insight into the value of long- versus short-term memory, home range sizes and the evolution of specialization, optimal group sizes and territoriality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ogino
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, KonstanzAm Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, KonstanzAm Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, CanberraACT 2600, Australia
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2
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Chan SCY, Karczmarski L. Broad-scale impacts of coastal mega-infrastructure project on obligatory inshore delphinids: A cautionary tale from Hong Kong. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:169753. [PMID: 38181953 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Inshore marine habitats experience considerable anthropogenic pressure, as this is where many adverse effects of human activities concentrate. In the rapidly-changing seascape of the Anthropocene, Hong Kong waters at the heart of world's fastest developing coastal region can serve as a preview-window into coastal seas of the future, with ever-growing anthropogenic footprint. Here, we quantify how large-scale coastal infrastructure projects can affect obligatory inshore cetaceans, bringing about population-level consequences that may compromise their long-term demographic viability. As a case in point, we look at the construction of world's longest sea crossing system and broad-scale demographic, social and spatial responses it has caused in a shallow-water delphinid, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Soon after the infrastructure project began, dolphins markedly altered their home range near construction sites such that these waters no longer functioned as dolphin core areas despite the apparent presence of prey, indicating that anthropogenic impacts outweighed foraging benefits. The contraction of key habitats has in turn led individuals to interact over spatially more constricted area, reshaping their group dynamics and social network. Although there was no apparent decline in dolphin numbers that could be detected with mark-recapture estimates, adult survival rates decreased drastically from 0.960 to 0.904, the lowest estimate for these animals anywhere across the region to date, notably below the previously estimated demographic threshold of their long-term persistence (0.955). It is apparent that during an advanced stage of this coastal infrastructure project, dolphins were under a major anthropogenic pressure that, if sustained, could be detrimental to their long-term persistence as a viable demographic unit. As effective conservation of species and habitats depends on informed management decisions, this study offers a valuable lesson in environmental risk assessment, underscoring the implications of human-induced rapid environmental change on obligatory inshore delphinids-sentinels of coastal habitats that are increasingly degraded in fast-changing coastal seas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Y Chan
- Division of Cetacean Ecology, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong.
| | - Leszek Karczmarski
- Division of Cetacean Ecology, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong.
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3
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Romano V, Puga-Gonzalez I, MacIntosh AJJ, Sueur C. The role of social attraction and social avoidance in shaping modular networks. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231619. [PMID: 38420628 PMCID: PMC10898973 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
How interactions between individuals contribute to the emergence of complex societies is a major question in behavioural ecology. Nonetheless, little remains known about the type of immediate social structure (i.e. social network) that emerges from relationships that maximize beneficial interactions (e.g. social attraction towards informed individuals) and minimize costly relationships (e.g. social avoidance of infected group mates). We developed an agent-based model where individuals vary in the degree to which individuals signal benefits versus costs to others and, on this basis, choose with whom to interact depending on simple rules of social attraction (e.g. access to the highest benefits) and social avoidance (e.g. avoiding the highest costs). Our main findings demonstrate that the accumulation of individual decisions to avoid interactions with highly costly individuals, but that are to some extent homogeneously beneficial, leads to more modular networks. On the contrary, individuals favouring interactions with highly beneficial individuals, but that are to some extent homogeneously costly, lead to less modular networks. Interestingly, statistical models also indicate that when individuals have multiple potentially beneficial partners to interact with, and no interaction cost exists, this also leads to more modular networks. Yet, the degree of modularity is contingent upon the variability in benefit levels held by individuals. We discuss the emergence of modularity in the systems and their consequences for understanding social trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valéria Romano
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ., Avignon Univ., CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | - Ivan Puga-Gonzalez
- Center for Modelling Social Systems (CMSS) at NORCE, Kristiansand, Norway
| | | | - Cédric Sueur
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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4
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Beck KB, Farine DR, Firth JA, Sheldon BC. Variation in local population size predicts social network structure in wild songbirds. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2348-2362. [PMID: 37837224 PMCID: PMC10952437 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The structure of animal societies is a key determinant of many ecological and evolutionary processes. Yet, we know relatively little about the factors and mechanisms that underpin detailed social structure. Among other factors, social structure can be influenced by habitat configuration. By shaping animal movement decisions, heterogeneity in habitat features, such as vegetation and the availability of resources, can influence the spatiotemporal distribution of individuals and subsequently key socioecological properties such as the local population size and density. Differences in local population size and density can impact opportunities for social associations and may thus drive substantial variation in local social structure. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal variation in population size at 65 distinct locations in a small songbird, the great tit (Parus major) and its effect on social network structure. We first explored the within-location consistency of population size from weekly samples and whether the observed variation in local population size was predicted by the underlying habitat configuration. Next, we created social networks from the birds' foraging associations at each location for each week and examined if local population size affected social structure. We show that population size is highly repeatable within locations across weeks and years and that some of the observed variation in local population size was predicted by the underlying habitat, with locations closer to the forest edge having on average larger population sizes. Furthermore, we show that local population size affected social structure inferred by four global network metrics. Using simple simulations, we then reveal that much of the observed social structure is shaped by social processes. Across different population sizes, the birds' social structure was largely explained by their preference to forage in flocks. In addition, over and above effects of social foraging, social preferences between birds (i.e. social relationships) shaped certain network features such as the extent of realized social connections. Our findings thus suggest that individual social decisions substantially contribute to shaping certain social network features over and above effects of population size alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina B. Beck
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviourKonstanzGermany
| | - Josh A. Firth
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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5
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Strauss ED. Demographic turnover can be a leading driver of hierarchy dynamics, and social inheritance modifies its effects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220308. [PMID: 37381857 PMCID: PMC10291429 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals and societies are linked through a feedback loop of mutual influence. Demographic turnover shapes group composition and structure by adding and removing individuals, and social inheritance shapes social structure through the transmission of social traits from parents to offspring. Here I examine how these drivers of social structure feedback to influence individual outcomes. I explore these society-to-individual effects in systems with social inheritance of hierarchy position, as occur in many primates and spotted hyenas. Applying Markov chain models to empirical and simulated data reveals how demography and social inheritance interact to strongly shape individual hierarchy positions. In hyena societies, demographic processes-not status seeking-account for the majority of hierarchy dynamics and cause an on-average lifetime decline in social hierarchy position. Simulated societies clarify how social inheritance alters demographic effects-demographic processes cause hierarchy position to regress to the mean, but the addition of social inheritance modifies this pattern. Notably, the combination of social inheritance and rank-related reproductive success causes individuals to decline in rank over their lifespans, as seen in the hyena data. Further analyses explore how 'queens' escape this pattern of decline, and how variation in social inheritance generates variability in reproductive inequality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, 78464, Germany
- Ecology of Animal Societies Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Collective Behavior Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Integrative Biology Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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6
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Baker CJ, Frère CH, Franklin CE, Campbell HA, Irwin TR, Dwyer RG. Long-term tracking reveals a dynamic crocodylian social system. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
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7
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Webber QMR, Albery GF, Farine DR, Pinter-Wollman N, Sharma N, Spiegel O, Vander Wal E, Manlove K. Behavioural ecology at the spatial-social interface. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:868-886. [PMID: 36691262 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Spatial and social behaviour are fundamental aspects of an animal's biology, and their social and spatial environments are indelibly linked through mutual causes and shared consequences. We define the 'spatial-social interface' as intersection of social and spatial aspects of individuals' phenotypes and environments. Behavioural variation at the spatial-social interface has implications for ecological and evolutionary processes including pathogen transmission, population dynamics, and the evolution of social systems. We link spatial and social processes through a foundation of shared theory, vocabulary, and methods. We provide examples and future directions for the integration of spatial and social behaviour and environments. We introduce key concepts and approaches that either implicitly or explicitly integrate social and spatial processes, for example, graph theory, density-dependent habitat selection, and niche specialization. Finally, we discuss how movement ecology helps link the spatial-social interface. Our review integrates social and spatial behavioural ecology and identifies testable hypotheses at the spatial-social interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, 14193, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitatsstraße 10, 78464, Constance, Germany.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nitika Sharma
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5200 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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8
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Chan SCY, Karczmarski L, Lin W, Zheng R, Ho YW, Guo L, Mo Y, Lee ATL, Or CKM, Wu Y. An unknown component of a well-known population: socio-demographic parameters of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) at the western reaches of the Pearl River Delta region. Mamm Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00335-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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9
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Small effects of family size on sociality despite strong kin preferences in female bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Dynamics of short-finned pilot whales long-term social structure in Madeira. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00280-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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11
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Demartsev V, Gersick AS, Jensen FH, Thomas M, Roch MA, Strandburg‐Peshkin A. Signalling in groups: New tools for the integration of animal communication and collective movement. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Demartsev
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Andrew S. Gersick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | | | - Mara Thomas
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Marie A. Roch
- Department of Computer Science San Diego State University San Diego CA USA
| | - Ariana Strandburg‐Peshkin
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
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12
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Sheppard CE, Heaphy R, Cant MA, Marshall HH. Individual foraging specialization in group-living species. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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13
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Ilany A, Holekamp KE, Akçay E. Rank-dependent social inheritance determines social network structure in spotted hyenas. Science 2021; 373:348-352. [PMID: 34437155 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc1966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The structure of animal social networks influences survival and reproductive success, as well as pathogen and information transmission. However, the general mechanisms determining social structure remain unclear. Using data from 73,767 social interactions among wild spotted hyenas collected over 27 years, we show that the process of social inheritance determines how offspring relationships are formed and maintained. Relationships between offspring and other hyenas bear resemblance to those of their mothers for as long as 6 years, and the degree of similarity increases with maternal social rank. Mother-offspring relationship strength affects social inheritance and is positively correlated with offspring longevity. These results support the hypothesis that social inheritance of relationships can structure animal social networks and be subject to adaptive tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amiyaal Ilany
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Erol Akçay
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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14
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He P, Montiglio PO, Somveille M, Cantor M, Farine DR. The role of habitat configuration in shaping animal population processes: a framework to generate quantitative predictions. Oecologia 2021; 196:649-665. [PMID: 34159423 PMCID: PMC8292241 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
By shaping where individuals move, habitat configuration can fundamentally structure animal populations. Yet, we currently lack a framework for generating quantitative predictions about the role of habitat configuration in modulating population outcomes. To address this gap, we propose a modelling framework inspired by studies using networks to characterize habitat connectivity. We first define animal habitat networks, explain how they can integrate information about the different configurational features of animal habitats, and highlight the need for a bottom–up generative model that can depict realistic variations in habitat potential connectivity. Second, we describe a model for simulating animal habitat networks (available in the R package AnimalHabitatNetwork), and demonstrate its ability to generate alternative habitat configurations based on empirical data, which forms the basis for exploring the consequences of alternative habitat structures. Finally, we lay out three key research questions and demonstrate how our framework can address them. By simulating the spread of a pathogen within a population, we show how transmission properties can be impacted by both local potential connectivity and landscape-level characteristics of habitats. Our study highlights the importance of considering the underlying habitat configuration in studies linking social structure with population-level outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany. .,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Marius Somveille
- Birdlife International, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Mauricio Cantor
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Bastos DA, Zuanon J, Rapp Py‐Daniel L, de Santana CD. Social predation in electric eels. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1088-1092. [PMID: 33598115 PMCID: PMC7863634 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Social predation-when groups of predators coordinate actions to find and capture prey-is a common tactic among mammals but comparatively rare in fishes. We report the unexpected social predation by electric eels, an otherwise solitary predator in the Amazon rainforest. Observations made in different years and recorded on video show electric eels herding, encircling shoals of small nektonic fishes, and launching joint predatory high-voltage strikes on the prey ball. These findings challenge the hypothesis that electric eels may have a single foraging strategy and extend our knowledge on social predation to an organism that employs high-voltage discharge for hunting. Thereby offering a novel perspective for studies on the evolutionary interplay between predatory and escape tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A. Bastos
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (BADPI)Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaManausBrazil
| | - Jansen Zuanon
- Coordenação de BiodiversidadeInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaManausBrazil
| | - Lúcia Rapp Py‐Daniel
- Coordenação de BiodiversidadeInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaManausBrazil
| | - Carlos David de Santana
- Division of FishesDepartment of Vertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
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16
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Papageorgiou D, Farine DR. Shared decision-making allows subordinates to lead when dominants monopolize resources. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/48/eaba5881. [PMID: 33239284 PMCID: PMC7688327 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba5881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The concepts of leadership and dominance are often conflated, with individuals high in the social hierarchy assumed to be decision-makers. Dominants can exclusively benefit from monopolizing food resources and, therefore, induce an intragroup conflict when leading their group to these resources. We demonstrate that shared decision-making reduces such conflicts by studying movement initiations of wild vulturine guineafowl, a species that forms large, stable social groups with a steep dominance hierarchy. When dominant individuals displace subordinates from monopolizable food patches, the excluded subordinates subsequently initiate collective movement. The dominants then abandon the patch to follow the direction of subordinates, contrasting with nonmonopolizable resources where no individuals are excluded, and dominant individuals contribute extensively to group decisions. Our results demonstrate the role of shared decision-making in maintaining the balance of influence within animal societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R Farine
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
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17
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Genovart M, Gimenez O, Bertolero A, Choquet R, Oro D, Pradel R. Decrease in social cohesion in a colonial seabird under a perturbation regime. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18720. [PMID: 33127979 PMCID: PMC7603481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions, through influence on behavioural processes, can play an important role in populations’ resilience (i.e. ability to cope with perturbations). However little is known about the effects of perturbations on the strength of social cohesion in wild populations. Long-term associations between individuals may reflect the existence of social cohesion for seizing the evolutionary advantages of social living. We explore the existence of social cohesion and its dynamics under perturbations by analysing long-term social associations, in a colonial seabird, the Audouin’s gull Larus audouinii, living in a site experiencing a shift to a perturbed regime. Our goals were namely (1) to uncover the occurrence of long-term social ties (i.e. associations) between individuals and (2) to examine whether the perturbation regime affected this form of social cohesion. We analysed a dataset of more than 3500 individuals from 25 years of monitoring by means of contingency tables and within the Social Network Analysis framework. We showed that associations between individuals are not only due to philopatry or random gregariousness but that there are social ties between individuals over the years. Furthermore, social cohesion decreased under the perturbation regime. We sustain that perturbations may lead not only to changes in individuals’ behaviour and fitness but also to a change in populations’ social cohesion. The consequences of decreasing social cohesion are still not well understood, but they can be critical for the population dynamics of social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Genovart
- CEAB (CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain. .,IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Spain.
| | - O Gimenez
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - A Bertolero
- Associació Ornitològica Picampall de les Terres de l'Ebre, 43580, Deltebre, Spain
| | - R Choquet
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - D Oro
- CEAB (CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain.,IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Spain
| | - R Pradel
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
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18
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Gutiérrez JS, Soriano-Redondo A. Laterality in foraging phalaropes promotes phenotypically assorted groups. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Asymmetry of the brain and behavior (lateralization) is widespread in the animal kingdom and could be particularly advantageous for gregarious organisms. Here, we investigate the possibility that lateralized behaviors affect the structure of foraging flocks. Phalaropes (Scolopacidae: Phalaropus) are highly aquatic shorebirds and the only vertebrates that spin on the water to feed, often in large flocks. There is anecdotal evidence that individuals spin in a single direction and that those spinning counter the majority are usually found at the periphery of a flock. Although such phenotypic segregation may reduce interference among socially foraging birds, its extent and underlying mechanism remain unexplored. Using over 900 spinning bouts from freely available video repositories, we find support for individual, but not population, lateralization of spinning in the three phalarope species. Although spinning direction was not determined by the position occupied within a flock (periphery vs. core), nearest neighbors were more likely to spin in the same direction; moreover, they were three times less likely to interfere with each other when aligning spinning direction. Our results indicate that a simple rule (keep foraging with similarly lateralized individuals) can generate self-organized interactions among flockmates, resulting in groups phenotypically assorted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Andrea Soriano-Redondo
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairão, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal
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19
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Cantor M, Maldonado‐Chaparro AA, Beck KB, Brandl HB, Carter GG, He P, Hillemann F, Klarevas‐Irby JA, Ogino M, Papageorgiou D, Prox L, Farine DR. The importance of individual‐to‐society feedbacks in animal ecology and evolution. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:27-44. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maurício Cantor
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianópolis Brazil
- Centro de Estudos do Mar Universidade Federal do Paraná Pontal do Paraná Brazil
| | - Adriana A. Maldonado‐Chaparro
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Kristina B. Beck
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Seewiesen Germany
| | - Hanja B. Brandl
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA
| | - Peng He
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Friederike Hillemann
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - James A. Klarevas‐Irby
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
| | - Mina Ogino
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Lea Prox
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology & Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center Göttingen Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
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20
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Mbizah MM, Farine DR, Valeix M, Hunt JE, Macdonald DW, Loveridge AJ. Effect of ecological factors on fine-scale patterns of social structure in African lions. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2665-2676. [PMID: 32895921 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Environmental variations can influence the extent to which individuals interact with other individuals by changing the value of grouping. It is well known that many species can form and disband groups, often in response to the distribution and abundance of resources. While previous studies showed that resources influence the broad-scale structure of animal groups, knowledge gaps remain on whether they affect fine-scale patterns of association among individuals within groups. We quantify association patterns in African lions while simultaneously monitoring the abundance and distribution of prey. We test how social and ecological factors, including individual trait (age, sex, reproductive state) similarity and prey availability (prey abundance, dispersion, herd size and body size) affect within-pride social structure in African lions. We found that individual decisions about associates depended on resource availability with individuals associating equally across all members of the pride when prey herds were scarce, aggregated or large bodied, and associating more exclusively (in subgroups of preferred associates) when prey herds were abundant, dispersed or small bodied. Individuals within lion prides seemed to be buffering against changes in prey availability by modulating their strength and density of connections with conspecifics when prides split into subgroups. The strength and density of connections among individuals within subgroups was greater when prey herds were large and lower when prey herds were dispersed or are large bodied. Our findings suggest that individual lions are making social decisions at both the subgroup level and the pride level, with decisions representing putatively fitness-enhancing strategies. Individuals were typically shifting between having few strong connections and having many weaker connections depending on prevailing ecological conditions, with prey abundance, dispersion and body size having the greatest impact on decisions about splitting into subgroups. The maintenance of connections within prides and subgroups in the face of ecological change suggests that the fission-fusion nature of lion prides might be essential for the long-term maintenance of social connections even when short-term conditions do not allow them. More broadly, our study reveals how fission-fusion dynamics and ecological factors can simultaneously have an effect on animals across multiple levels of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moreangels M Mbizah
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marion Valeix
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,LTSER France, Zone Atelier "Hwange", CNRS HERD (Hwange Environmental Research Development) Program, Dete, Zimbabwe
| | - Jane E Hunt
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew J Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxford, UK
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21
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Kinship and reproductive condition correlate with affiliation patterns in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1891. [PMID: 32024905 PMCID: PMC7002487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58800-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships in female mammals are usually determined by an interplay among genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors that ultimately affect their lifetime reproductive success. However, few studies have attempted to control for, and integrate these factors, hampering our understanding of drivers underlying female sociality. Here, we used generalized affiliation indices, combined with social networks, reproductive condition, and genetic data to investigate drivers of associations in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Our analysis is based on photo-identification and genetic data collected through systematic boat surveys over a two-year study period. Female dolphins formed preferred associations and social clusters which ranged from overlapping to discrete home ranges. Furthermore, matrilineal kinship and biparental relatedness, as well as reproductive condition, correlated with the strength of female affiliations. In addition, relatedness for both genetic markers was also higher within than between social clusters. The predictability of resources in their embayment environment, and the availability of same-sex relatives in the population, may have favoured the formation of social bonds between genetically related females and those in similar reproductive condition. This study highlights the importance of genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors in determining female sociality in coastal dolphins.
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22
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Farine DR. Structural trade-offs can predict rewiring in shrinking social networks. J Anim Ecol 2019; 90:120-130. [PMID: 31691962 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that organisms can respond to declining population sizes by adapting their interactions with others. Regulating connections with others could underpin resilience of biological networks spanning from social groups to ecological communities. However, our ability to predict the dynamics of shrinking social networks remains limited. Network regulation involves several trade-offs. Removing nodes (and therefore their connections) from networks reduces the number of connections among remaining nodes. Responding by forming new connections then impacts other network properties. A simple way to minimize the impact of up-regulating network connections is to form new connections or to strengthen connections, between nodes that share a lost connection with a recently removed node. I propose a simple 'second-degree rewiring' rule as a biologically plausible regulatory mechanism in shrinking social networks. I argue that two individuals that have lost a connection with a common removed individual will both be more likely, or more willing, to form a new, or strengthen an existing, connection among themselves. I then show that such second-degree rewiring has less impact on important structural properties of the network than forming random new connections. For example, in a network with phenotypic assortment, second-degree nodes are more likely to be similar than any random pair of nodes, and connecting these will better maintain assortativity. This simple rule can therefore maintain network properties without individuals having any knowledge of the global structure of the network or the relative properties of the nodes within it. In this paper, I outline an algorithm for second-degree rewiring. I demonstrate how second-degree rewiring can have less impact than adding new, or increasing the strength of, random connections on both the individual and whole network properties. That is, relative to randomly adding or strengthening connections, second-degree rewiring has less impact on mean degree, assortativity, clustering and network density. I then demonstrate empirically, using social networks of great tits (Parus major), that individuals that previously shared connections to a removed conspecific were more likely to form a new connection or to strengthen their connection, relative to other individuals in the same population. This study highlights how developing a better mechanistic understanding of the structural properties of networks, and the consequences of adding new connections, can provide useful insights into how organisms are likely to regulate their interactions in shrinking populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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23
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Methion S, Díaz López B. Individual foraging variation drives social organization in bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Identifying foraging variation within a population and assessing its relationship with social structure is essential to increase knowledge about the evolution of social systems. Here, we investigated individual foraging variation in bottlenose dolphins and its potential influence on their social organization. We used generalized affiliation indices and applied social network analysis to data collected over four consecutive years of research in a coastal area subject to significant use and pressure by humans. Our findings revealed variation in foraging behavior among individual bottlenose dolphins, which in turn shapes their social organization. Our results indicated that individuals that frequently foraged within human-altered areas (i.e., shellfish farms) exhibited weaker Strength, Reach, and Affinity compared to others. These bottlenose dolphins profit from a reliable and easily located food source, which may increase their energy intake and interindividual competition. In contrast, individuals that foraged less frequently within the shellfish farms occupied a central position within the network and exhibited strong associations. These individuals may benefit from increased cooperation and reduced intragroup competition, thus increasing learning and information sharing, as they may face a patchy and irregular distribution of prey. We also demonstrated that bottlenose dolphins preferred to affiliate with other individuals with similar foraging strategies (i.e., homophily), which could promote, through time, a segregation of the population into behaviorally distinct groups. These findings provide valuable insight into the evolution of bottlenose dolphin social systems and their response to human-induced changes in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Methion
- Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), Avenida Beiramar, O Grove, Pontevedra, Spain
- Université Bordeaux, UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC, Allee Geoffroy St Hilaire, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Bruno Díaz López
- Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), Avenida Beiramar, O Grove, Pontevedra, Spain
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Amiyaal Ilany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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25
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Abstract
Abstract
Demographic processes play a key role in shaping the patterns of social relations among individuals in a population. Social network analysis is a powerful quantitative tool for assessing the social structure formed by associations between individuals. However, demographic processes are rarely accounted for in such analyses. Here, we summarize how the structure of animal social networks is shaped by the joint effects of social behavior and turnover of individuals and suggest how a deeper understanding of these processes can open new, exciting avenues for research. Death or dispersal can have the direct effect of removing an individual and all its social connections, and can also have indirect effects, spurring changes in the distribution of social connections between remaining individuals. Recruitment and integration of juveniles and immigrant into existing social networks are critical to the emergence and persistence of social network structure. Together, these behavioral responses to loss and gain of social partners may impact how societies respond to seasonal or catastrophic turnover events. The fitness consequences of social position (e.g., survival and reproductive rates) may also create feedback between the social network structure and demography. Understanding how social structure changes in response to turnover of individuals requires further integration between long-term field studies and network modeling methods. These efforts will likely yield new insights into the connections between social networks and life history, ecological change, and evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison E Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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26
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The role of habitat configuration in shaping social structure: a gap in studies of animal social complexity. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2602-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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27
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Grouping Behaviors of Dolphins and Other Toothed Whales. ETHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY OF ODONTOCETES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-16663-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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28
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Testing the Sexual and Social Benefits of Cooperation in Animals. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 34:112-120. [PMID: 30527795 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Theoretical models show that sexual and social selection can stabilise cooperation. However, field tests of these mechanisms have been difficult to conduct and the results are mixed. We discuss the conceptual and practical difficulties associated with testing the role of social and sexual selection on cooperation and argue that there are alternative ways of examining these hypotheses. Specifically, approaches based on the classic theories of sexual selection and signalling, and recent developments in the field of behavioural syndromes, provide mechanisms to insure the reliability of cooperation. In addition, methodological developments (social networks and microtracking) and long-term datasets, allow measuring partner choice in a cooperation context and the resulting fitness benefits for both the cooperators and the individuals that associate with them.
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29
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Cantor M, Farine DR. Simple foraging rules in competitive environments can generate socially structured populations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4978-4991. [PMID: 29876075 PMCID: PMC5980395 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Social vertebrates commonly form foraging groups whose members repeatedly interact with one another and are often genetically related. Many species also exhibit within-population specializations, which can range from preferences to forage in particular areas through to specializing on the type of prey they catch. However, within-population structure in foraging groups, behavioral homogeneity in foraging behavior, and relatedness could be outcomes of behavioral interactions rather than underlying drivers. We present a simple process by which grouping among foragers emerges and is maintained across generations. We introduce agent-based models to investigate (1) whether a simple rule (keep foraging with the same individuals when you were successful) leads to stable social community structure, and (2) whether this structure is robust to demographic changes and becomes kin-structured over time. We find the rapid emergence of kin-structured populations and the presence of foraging groups that control, or specialize on, a particular food resource. This pattern is strongest in small populations, mirroring empirical observations. Our results suggest that group stability can emerge as a product of network self-organization and, in doing so, may provide the necessary conditions for the evolution of more sophisticated processes, such as social learning. This taxonomically general social process has implications for our understanding of the links between population, genetic, and social structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Cantor
- Departamento de Ecologia e ZoologiaUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaFlorianópolisBrazil
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for OrnithologyKonstanzGermany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Edward Grey Institute for OrnithologyDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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