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Sunga J, Humber J, Broders HG. Co-roosting relationships are consistent across years in a bat maternity group. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1395. [PMID: 38228618 PMCID: PMC10791638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50191-4] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-lived, group living animals have the potential to form multiyear relationships. In some temperate bat species, maternity groups break apart and rejoin both daily, as females depart to forage and select day roosts to use, and annually, as bats leave for and return from hibernation. Here, we investigated whether bats have persistent social preferences by testing whether relationships between dyads in a focal year could be predicted by previous years. We also hypothesized that experience influences social preferences and predicted that an individual's age would influence its network position, while familiarity with bats of the same cohort would drive persistent social preferences. We quantified roost co-occurrence in little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) in Salmonier Nature Park, Newfoundland, Canada both within and among years. We found that roost co-occurrence patterns of previous years still had predictive value even when accounting for potential roost fidelity. However, we found no evidence that cohort familiarity or age explained any of the variation. Overall, we found long-term patterns of association in this temperate bat species that suggest levels of social complexity akin to other large mammal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sunga
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Jessica Humber
- Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 192 Wheeler's Road, PO Box 2007, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 7S1, Canada
| | - Hugh G Broders
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada.
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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2
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Della Libera K, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Griffith SC, Leu ST. Fission-fusion dynamics in sheep: the influence of resource distribution and temporal activity patterns. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230402. [PMID: 37476510 PMCID: PMC10354475 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Fission-fusion events, i.e. changes to the size and composition of animal social groups, are a mechanism to adjust the social environment in response to short-term changes in the cost-benefit ratio of group living. Furthermore, the time and location of fission-fusion events provide insight into the underlying drivers of these dynamics. Here, we describe a method for identifying group membership over time and for extracting fission-fusion events from animal tracking data. We applied this method to high-resolution GPS data of free-ranging sheep (Ovis aries). Group size was highest during times when sheep typically rest (midday and at night), and when anti-predator benefits of grouping are high while costs of competition are low. Consistent with this, fission and fusion frequencies were highest during early morning and late evening, suggesting that social restructuring occurs during periods of high activity. However, fission and fusion events were not more frequent near food patches and water resources when adjusted for overall space use. This suggests a limited role of resource competition. Our results elucidate the dynamics of grouping in response to social and ecological drivers, and we provide a tool for investigating these dynamics in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Della Libera
- Department of Natural Sciences, Minerva University, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, IL 60637-5416, USA
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg Germany
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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3
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McCully FR, Rose PE. Individual personality predicts social network assemblages in a colonial bird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2258. [PMID: 36859497 PMCID: PMC9977762 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29315-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal personalities manifest as consistent individual differences in the performance of specific behavioural expressions. Personality research has implications for zoo animal welfare, as it can further our understanding of how captive individuals may differ in their resource use and provide insight into improving individual and group social health. For group living species, personality may enable assortment based on similar behaviour and influence an individual's interactions with conspecifics (e.g. social support). This research aimed to document how personality traits (aggressive, exploratory, submissive) influenced the social network structure of highly social animals in a captive environment. Data were collected from separate flocks of captive Caribbean (Phoenicopterus ruber) and Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) to identify relationships between birds and examine opportunities for social support. The flocks associated non-randomly, and in both cases, personality was a substantial predictor of network structure. Personality also predicted key elements of Caribbean flamingo social role (degree, betweenness and average association strength) conflict outcome, and propensity to provide social support, however these patterns were not replicated within the Chilean flamingo network. While both species appear to assort by personality, the broader relationship between personality and social role may vary depending on species and context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fionnuala R McCully
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5DA, UK
| | - Paul E Rose
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QG, UK. .,WWT, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7BT, UK.
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4
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Keshavarzi H, Lee C, Dyall TR, Johnson M, Campbell DLM. Shared stressful experiences affect social proximity in Merino sheep. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220396. [PMID: 36750179 PMCID: PMC9904948 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
While it is well established that humans develop stronger relationship bonds when they share stressful experiences, there is little known on how shared stressful experiences may influence relationship bonding in animals. Here, we present a study looking at social proximity between individuals in small groups of Merino ewes following a shared stressful experience compared with control sheep that were not exposed to stress. Some sheep were familiar to each other. Analyses of social proximity using real-time-kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) on-animal devices showed sheep preferred to be closest to familiar individuals, but across the study duration they also developed a preference for the individuals they shared the stressful experience with, relative to their proximity to control individuals. These results contribute to limited research on what factors may instigate the development of bonds between unfamiliar sheep. Between-individual bonds may develop as a means of socially mediated stress buffering. Social bonding following a shared stressful experience aligns with human social relationships and increases our understanding of how animals perceive their conspecifics in relation to stressful environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamideh Keshavarzi
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, New South Wales 2350, Australia
| | - Caroline Lee
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, New South Wales 2350, Australia
| | - Tim R Dyall
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, New South Wales 2350, Australia
| | - Mark Johnson
- Data61, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Marsfield, New South Wales 2122, Australia
| | - Dana L M Campbell
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, New South Wales 2350, Australia
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5
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He P, Klarevas‐Irby JA, Papageorgiou D, Christensen C, Strauss ED, Farine DR. A guide to sampling design for
GPS
‐based studies of animal societies. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - James A. Klarevas‐Irby
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Christensen
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra Australia
- Department of Ornithology National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
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6
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Keshavarzi H, Lee C, Dyall T, Johnson M, Abbott D, Belson S, Ni W, Campbell DLM. Using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Devices to Show a Limited Effect of Boldness and Fearfulness on Social Proximity in Sheep Grazing at Pasture. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2022.872132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sheep are gregarious animals that can form close inter-individual relationships. Social bonds are affected by environmental and within-animal factors, but there is limited understanding of individual factors that influence social relationships, in part due to the challenges of accurately measuring individual social proximity within a group. This study used geospatially precise RTK-GNSS localization devices (Real-Time-Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System) to evaluate social proximity between individuals with different personality traits in small sheep flocks. First, unsupervised clustering algorithms were used to categorize 78 individual Merino sheep (from a research flock of 108 grazed together for 11 months prior) based on their behavior measured in four behavioral tests: arena, novel object, flight speed, and isolation box. Sixty-five sheep were then categorized into five cohorts of 13 individuals each (clustered into three bold, six bold/fearful, and four fearful animals per cohort). Bold/fearful animals were bold toward a novel object but fearful of a human. Sheep within a single cohort were released into a 0.70 Ha test paddock with RTK-GNSS devices attached to their backs for 3 days to monitor relative positions. All cohorts were tested sequentially over a 5-week period. Social network analyses of GNSS locational data with a distance threshold of up to 30 m for all cohorts together showed no significant effect of personality traits (P = 0.11). There were, however, some significant but inconsistent differences in distances based on personality traits within separate cohorts [i.e., cohorts 1, 3, 4 (P ≤ 0.02), cohorts 2, 5 (P ≥ 0.44)]. When GNSS locational data were analyzed with a distance threshold of up to 2 m (day 2 excluded from all cohorts due to missing values), there was a significant effect of personality traits (P = 0.01) across all cohorts combined. The bold animals showed greater distances from each other relative to their distances from fearful or bold/fearful individuals. Additionally, regardless of personality traits, the average distance between animals decreased 2.2 m over the 3 test days. Social interactions in sheep flocks may be influenced by personality traits of fearfulness and boldness, but further research with larger numbers of sheep across varying environments is needed.
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7
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Constructing social networks from automated telemetry data: A worked example using within‐ and across‐group associations in cooperatively breeding birds. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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8
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Hildebrandt F, Büttner K, Salau J, Krieter J, Czycholl I. Proximity between horses in large groups in an open stable system – Analysis of spatial and temporal proximity definitions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Morita T, Toyoda A, Aisu S, Kaneko A, Suda‐Hashimoto N, Adachi I, Matsuda I, Koda H, O'Hara RB. Nonparametric analysis of inter‐individual relations using an attention‐based neural network. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Morita
- Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - Aru Toyoda
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences Kasugai Japan
| | - Seitaro Aisu
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - Akihisa Kaneko
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | | | - Ikuma Adachi
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - Ikki Matsuda
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences Kasugai Japan
- Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre Inuyama Japan
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Hiroki Koda
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
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10
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The Relationship Between GPS Sampling Interval and Estimated Daily Travel Distances in Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus). INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractModern studies of animal movement use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to estimate animals’ distance traveled. The temporal resolution of GPS fixes recorded should match those of the behavior of interest; otherwise estimates are likely to be inappropriate. Here, we investigate how different GPS sampling intervals affect estimated daily travel distances for wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). By subsampling GPS data collected at one fix per second for 143 daily travel distances (12 baboons over 11–12 days), we found that less frequent GPS fixes result in smaller estimated travel distances. Moving from a GPS frequency of one fix every second to one fix every 30 s resulted in a 33% reduction in estimated daily travel distance, while using hourly GPS fixes resulted in a 66% reduction. We then use the relationship we find between estimated travel distance and GPS sampling interval to recalculate published baboon daily travel distances and find that accounting for the predicted effect of sampling interval does not affect conclusions of previous comparative analyses. However, if short-interval or continuous GPS data—which are becoming more common in studies of primate movement ecology—are compared with historical (longer interval) GPS data in future work, controlling for sampling interval is necessary.
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11
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Fisher DN, Pinter-Wollman N. Using multilayer network analysis to explore the temporal dynamics of collective behavior. Curr Zool 2021; 67:71-80. [PMID: 33654492 PMCID: PMC7901757 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Social organisms often show collective behaviors such as group foraging or movement. Collective behaviors can emerge from interactions between group members and may depend on the behavior of key individuals. When social interactions change over time, collective behaviors may change because these behaviors emerge from interactions among individuals. Despite the importance of, and growing interest in, the temporal dynamics of social interactions, it is not clear how to quantify changes in interactions over time or measure their stability. Furthermore, the temporal scale at which we should observe changes in social networks to detect biologically meaningful changes is not always apparent. Here we use multilayer network analysis to quantify temporal dynamics of social networks of the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola and determine how these dynamics relate to individual and group behaviors. We found that social interactions changed over time at a constant rate. Variation in both network structure and the identity of a keystone individual was not related to the mean or variance of the collective prey attack speed. Individuals that maintained a large and stable number of connections, despite changes in network structure, were the boldest individuals in the group. Therefore, social interactions and boldness are linked across time, but group collective behavior is not influenced by the stability of the social network. Our work demonstrates that dynamic social networks can be modeled in a multilayer framework. This approach may reveal biologically important temporal changes to social structure in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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12
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Validation of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Devices on Sheep to Detect Grazing Movement Leaders and Social Networks in Merino Ewes. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21030924. [PMID: 33573163 PMCID: PMC7866524 DOI: 10.3390/s21030924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding social behaviour in livestock groups requires accurate geo-spatial localisation data over time which is difficult to obtain in the field. Automated on-animal devices may provide a solution. This study introduced an Real-Time-Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) localisation device (RTK rover) based on an RTK module manufactured by the company u-blox (Thalwil, Switzerland) that was assembled in a box and harnessed to sheep backs. Testing with 7 sheep across 4 days confirmed RTK rover tracking of sheep movement continuously with accuracy of approximately 20 cm. Individual sheep geo-spatial data were used to observe the sheep that first moved during a grazing period (movement leaders) in the one-hectare test paddock as well as construct social networks. Analysis of the optimum location update rate, with a threshold distance of 20 cm or 30 cm, showed that location sampling at a rate of 1 sample per second for 1 min followed by no samples for 4 min or 9 min, detected social networks as accurately as continuous location measurements at 1 sample every 5 s. The RTK rover acquired precise data on social networks in one sheep flock in an outdoor field environment with sampling strategies identified to extend battery life.
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13
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Smith JE, Pinter-Wollman N. Observing the unwatchable: Integrating automated sensing, naturalistic observations and animal social network analysis in the age of big data. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:62-75. [PMID: 33020914 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the 4.5 decades since Altmann (1974) published her seminal paper on the methods for the observational study of behaviour, automated detection and analysis of social interaction networks have fundamentally transformed the ways that ecologists study social behaviour. Methodological developments for collecting data remotely on social behaviour involve indirect inference of associations, direct recordings of interactions and machine vision. These recent technological advances are improving the scale and resolution with which we can dissect interactions among animals. They are also revealing new intricacies of animal social interactions at spatial and temporal resolutions as well as in ecological contexts that have been hidden from humans, making the unwatchable seeable. We first outline how these technological applications are permitting researchers to collect exquisitely detailed information with little observer bias. We further recognize new emerging challenges from these new reality-mining approaches. While technological advances in automating data collection and its analysis are moving at an unprecedented rate, we urge ecologists to thoughtfully combine these new tools with classic behavioural and ecological monitoring methods to place our understanding of animal social networks within fundamental biological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Gomes ACR, Boogert NJ, Cardoso GC. Network structure and the optimization of proximity‐based association criteria. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cristina R. Gomes
- CIBIO/InBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Neeltje J. Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn Cornwall UK
| | - Gonçalo C. Cardoso
- CIBIO/InBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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15
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Cook A(S, Zill A, Meyer B. Observing leadership as behavior in teams and herds – An ethological approach to shared leadership research. THE LEADERSHIP QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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16
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Leu ST, Sah P, Krzyszczyk E, Jacoby AM, Mann J, Bansal S. Sex, synchrony, and skin contact: integrating multiple behaviors to assess pathogen transmission risk. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Direct pathogen and parasite transmission is fundamentally driven by a population’s contact network structure and its demographic composition and is further modulated by pathogen life-history traits. Importantly, populations are most often concurrently exposed to a suite of pathogens, which is rarely investigated, because contact networks are typically inferred from spatial proximity only. Here, we use 5 years of detailed observations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) that distinguish between four different types of social contact. We investigate how demography (sex and age) affects these different social behaviors. Three of the four social behaviors can be used as a proxy for understanding key routes of direct pathogen transmission (sexual contact, skin contact, and aerosol contact of respiratory vapor above the water surface). We quantify the demography-dependent network connectedness, representing the risk of exposure associated with the three pathogen transmission routes, and quantify coexposure risks and relate them to individual sociability. Our results suggest demography-driven disease risk in bottlenose dolphins, with males at greater risk than females, and transmission route-dependent implications for different age classes. We hypothesize that male alliance formation and the divergent reproductive strategies in males and females drive the demography-dependent connectedness and, hence, exposure risk to pathogens. Our study provides evidence for the risk of coexposure to pathogens transmitted along different transmission routes and that they relate to individual sociability. Hence, our results highlight the importance of a multibehavioral approach for a more complete understanding of the overall pathogen transmission risk in animal populations, as well as the cumulative costs of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan T Leu
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Pratha Sah
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ewa Krzyszczyk
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Jacoby
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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17
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Robitaille AL, Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Conducting social network analysis with animal telemetry data: Applications and methods using spatsoc. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alec L. Robitaille
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Quinn M. R. Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
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18
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Dawson DE, Farthing TS, Sanderson MW, Lanzas C. Transmission on empirical dynamic contact networks is influenced by data processing decisions. Epidemics 2019; 26:32-42. [PMID: 30528207 PMCID: PMC6613374 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic contact data can be used to inform disease transmission models, providing insight into the dynamics of infectious diseases. Such data often requires extensive processing for use in models or analysis. Therefore, processing decisions can potentially influence the topology of the contact network and the simulated disease transmission dynamics on the network. In this study, we examine how four processing decisions, including temporal sampling window (TSW), spatial threshold of contact (SpTh), minimum contact duration (MCD), and temporal aggregation (daily or hourly) influence the information content of contact data (indicated by changes in entropy) as well as disease transmission model dynamics. We found that changes made to information content by processing decisions translated to significant impacts to the transmission dynamics of disease models using the contact data. In particular, we found that SpTh had the largest independent influence on information content, and that some output metrics (R0, time to peak infection) were more sensitive to changes in information than others (epidemic extent). These findings suggest that insights gained from transmission modeling using dynamic contact data can be influenced by processing decisions alone, emphasizing the need to carefully consideration them prior to using contact-based models to conduct analyses, compare different datasets, or inform policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Dawson
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA.
| | - Trevor S Farthing
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Michael W Sanderson
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Cristina Lanzas
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
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Miller HJ, Dodge S, Miller J, Bohrer G. Towards an Integrated Science of Movement: Converging Research on Animal Movement Ecology and Human Mobility Science. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SCIENCE : IJGIS 2019; 33:855-876. [PMID: 33013182 PMCID: PMC7531019 DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2018.1564317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
There is long-standing scientific interest in understanding purposeful movement by animals and humans. Traditionally, collecting data on individual moving entities was difficult and time-consuming, limiting scientific progress. The growth of location-aware and other geospatial technologies for capturing, managing and analyzing moving objects data are shattering these limitations, leading to revolutions in animal movement ecology and human mobility science. Despite parallel transitions towards massive individual-level data collected automatically via sensors, there is little scientific cross-fertilization across the animal and human divide. There are potential synergies from converging these separate domains towards an integrated science of movement. This paper discusses the data-driven revolutions in the animal movement ecology and human mobility science, their contrasting worldviews and, as examples of complementarity, transdisciplinary questions that span both fields. We also identify research challenges that should be met to develop an integrated science of movement trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvey J Miller
- Department of Geography and Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA), The Ohio State University
| | - Somayeh Dodge
- Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota
| | - Jennifer Miller
- Department of Geography and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Gil Bohrer
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University
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Manlove K, Aiello C, Sah P, Cummins B, Hudson PJ, Cross PC. The ecology of movement and behaviour: a saturated tripartite network for describing animal contacts. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0670. [PMID: 30232156 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists regularly use animal contact networks to describe interactions underlying pathogen transmission, gene flow, and information transfer. However, empirical descriptions of contact often overlook some features of individual movement, and decisions about what kind of network to use in a particular setting are commonly ad hoc Here, we relate individual movement trajectories to contact networks through a tripartite network model of individual, space, and time nodes. Most networks used in animal contact studies (e.g. individual association networks, home range overlap networks, and spatial networks) are simplifications of this tripartite model. The tripartite structure can incorporate a broad suite of alternative ecological metrics like home range sizes and patch occupancy patterns into inferences about contact network metrics such as modularity and degree distribution. We demonstrate the model's utility with two simulation studies using alternative forms of ecological data to constrain the tripartite network's structure and inform expectations about the harder-to-measure metrics related to contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA .,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Christina Aiello
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.,US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - Pratha Sah
- Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis (CIDMA), Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bree Cummins
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Peter J Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Paul C Cross
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Ste. 2, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Ramos-Fernandez G, King AJ, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Crofoot MC, Di Fiore A, Lehmann J, Schaffner CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Zuberbühler K, Aureli F, Boyer D. Quantifying uncertainty due to fission-fusion dynamics as a component of social complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180532. [PMID: 29848648 PMCID: PMC5998110 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Groups of animals (including humans) may show flexible grouping patterns, in which temporary aggregations or subgroups come together and split, changing composition over short temporal scales, (i.e. fission and fusion). A high degree of fission-fusion dynamics may constrain the regulation of social relationships, introducing uncertainty in interactions between group members. Here we use Shannon's entropy to quantify the predictability of subgroup composition for three species known to differ in the way their subgroups come together and split over time: spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and geladas (Theropithecus gelada). We formulate a random expectation of entropy that considers subgroup size variation and sample size, against which the observed entropy in subgroup composition can be compared. Using the theory of set partitioning, we also develop a method to estimate the number of subgroups that the group is likely to be divided into, based on the composition and size of single focal subgroups. Our results indicate that Shannon's entropy and the estimated number of subgroups present at a given time provide quantitative metrics of uncertainty in the social environment (within which social relationships must be regulated) for groups with different degrees of fission-fusion dynamics. These metrics also represent an indirect quantification of the cognitive challenges posed by socially dynamic environments. Overall, our novel methodological approach provides new insight for understanding the evolution of social complexity and the mechanisms to cope with the uncertainty that results from fission-fusion dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, CA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, WA, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Denis Boyer
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
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Re-wilding Collective Behaviour: An Ecological Perspective. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:347-357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Ramos A, Manizan L, Rodriguez E, Kemp YJM, Sueur C. How can leadership processes in European bison be used to improve the management of free-roaming herds. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Where should we meet? Mapping social network interactions of sleepy lizards shows sex-dependent social network structure. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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25
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Sueur C, Kuntz C, Debergue E, Keller B, Robic F, Siegwalt-Baudin F, Richer C, Ramos A, Pelé M. Leadership linked to group composition in Highland cattle ( Bos taurus ): Implications for livestock management. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Snijders L, Naguib M. Communication in Animal Social Networks. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Roberts SGB, Roberts AI. Social Brain Hypothesis: Vocal and Gesture Networks of Wild Chimpanzees. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1756. [PMID: 27933005 PMCID: PMC5121241 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A key driver of brain evolution in primates and humans is the cognitive demands arising from managing social relationships. In primates, grooming plays a key role in maintaining these relationships, but the time that can be devoted to grooming is inherently limited. Communication may act as an additional, more time-efficient bonding mechanism to grooming, but how patterns of communication are related to patterns of sociality is still poorly understood. We used social network analysis to examine the associations between close proximity (duration of time spent within 10 m per hour spent in the same party), grooming, vocal communication, and gestural communication (duration of time and frequency of behavior per hour spent within 10 m) in wild chimpanzees. This study examined hypotheses formulated a priori and the results were not corrected for multiple testing. Chimpanzees had differentiated social relationships, with focal chimpanzees maintaining some level of proximity to almost all group members, but directing gestures at and grooming with a smaller number of preferred social partners. Pairs of chimpanzees that had high levels of close proximity had higher rates of grooming. Importantly, higher rates of gestural communication were also positively associated with levels of proximity, and specifically gestures associated with affiliation (greeting, gesture to mutually groom) were related to proximity. Synchronized low-intensity pant-hoots were also positively related to proximity in pairs of chimpanzees. Further, there were differences in the size of individual chimpanzees' proximity networks—the number of social relationships they maintained with others. Focal chimpanzees with larger proximity networks had a higher rate of both synchronized low- intensity pant-hoots and synchronized high-intensity pant-hoots. These results suggest that in addition to grooming, both gestures and synchronized vocalizations may play key roles in allowing chimpanzees to manage a large and differentiated set of social relationships. Gestures may be important in reducing the aggression arising from being in close proximity to others, allowing for proximity to be maintained for longer and facilitating grooming. Vocalizations may allow chimpanzees to communicate with a larger number of recipients than gestures and the synchronized nature of the pant-hoot calls may facilitate social bonding of more numerous social relationships. As group sizes increased through human evolution, both gestures and synchronized vocalizations may have played important roles in bonding social relationships in a more time-efficient manner than grooming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna I Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester Chester, UK
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28
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Spiegel O, Leu ST, Sih A, Bull CM. Socially interacting or indifferent neighbours? Randomization of movement paths to tease apart social preference and spatial constraints. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orr Spiegel
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, Wickson Hall One Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- School of Biological Sciences Flinders University GPO Box 2100 Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, Wickson Hall One Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - C. Michael Bull
- School of Biological Sciences Flinders University GPO Box 2100 Adelaide SA Australia
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29
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Social density processes regulate the functioning and performance of foraging human teams. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18260. [PMID: 26675584 PMCID: PMC4682145 DOI: 10.1038/srep18260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Social density processes impact the activity and order of collective behaviours in a variety of biological systems. Much effort has been devoted to understanding how density of people affects collective human motion in the context of pedestrian flows. However, there is a distinct lack of empirical data investigating the effects of social density on human behaviour in cooperative contexts. Here, we examine the functioning and performance of human teams in a central-place foraging arena using high-resolution GPS data. We show that team functioning (level of coordination) is greatest at intermediate social densities, but contrary to our expectations, increased coordination at intermediate densities did not translate into improved collective foraging performance, and foraging accuracy was equivalent across our density treatments. We suggest that this is likely a consequence of foragers relying upon visual channels (local information) to achieve coordination but relying upon auditory channels (global information) to maximise foraging returns. These findings provide new insights for the development of more sophisticated models of human collective behaviour that consider different networks for communication (e.g. visual and vocal) that have the potential to operate simultaneously in cooperative contexts.
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Farine DR, Strandburg-Peshkin A. Estimating uncertainty and reliability of social network data using Bayesian inference. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150367. [PMID: 26473059 PMCID: PMC4593693 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Social network analysis provides a useful lens through which to view the structure of animal societies, and as a result its use is increasingly widespread. One challenge that many studies of animal social networks face is dealing with limited sample sizes, which introduces the potential for a high level of uncertainty in estimating the rates of association or interaction between individuals. We present a method based on Bayesian inference to incorporate uncertainty into network analyses. We test the reliability of this method at capturing both local and global properties of simulated networks, and compare it to a recently suggested method based on bootstrapping. Our results suggest that Bayesian inference can provide useful information about the underlying certainty in an observed network. When networks are well sampled, observed networks approach the real underlying social structure. However, when sampling is sparse, Bayesian inferred networks can provide realistic uncertainty estimates around edge weights. We also suggest a potential method for estimating the reliability of an observed network given the amount of sampling performed. This paper highlights how relatively simple procedures can be used to estimate uncertainty and reliability in studies using animal social network analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien R. Farine
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
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32
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Feczko E, Mitchell TAJ, Walum H, Brooks JM, Heitz TR, Young LJ, Parr LA. Establishing the reliability of rhesus macaque social network assessment from video observations. Anim Behav 2015; 107:115-123. [PMID: 26392632 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the properties of a social environment is important for understanding the dynamics of social relationships. Understanding such dynamics is relevant for multiple fields, ranging from animal behaviour to social and cognitive neuroscience. To quantify social environment properties, recent studies have incorporated social network analysis. Social network analysis quantifies both the global and local properties of a social environment, such as social network efficiency and the roles played by specific individuals, respectively. Despite the plethora of studies incorporating social network analysis, methods to determine the amount of data necessary to derive reliable social networks are still being developed. Determining the amount of data necessary for a reliable network is critical for measuring changes in the social environment, for example following an experimental manipulation, and therefore may be critical for using social network analysis to statistically assess social behaviour. In this paper, we extend methods for measuring error in acquired data and for determining the amount of data necessary to generate reliable social networks. We derived social networks from a group of 10 male rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, for three behaviours: spatial proximity, grooming and mounting. Behaviours were coded using a video observation technique, where video cameras recorded the compound where the 10 macaques resided. We collected, coded and used 10 h of video data to construct these networks. Using the methods described here, we found in our data that 1 h of spatial proximity observations produced reliable social networks. However, this may not be true for other studies due to differences in data acquisition. Our results have broad implications for measuring and predicting the amount of error in any social network, regardless of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Feczko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Thomas A J Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Hasse Walum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Jenna M Brooks
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Thomas R Heitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Larry J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Lisa A Parr
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Yerkes Primate National Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. ; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
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Furmston T, Morton AJ, Hailes S. A Significance Test for Inferring Affiliation Networks from Spatio-Temporal Data. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132417. [PMID: 26192280 PMCID: PMC4508121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientists have long been interested in studying social structures within groups of gregarious animals. However, obtaining evidence about interactions between members of a group is difficult. Recent technologies, such as Global Positioning System technology, have made it possible to obtain a vast wealth of animal movement data, but inferring the underlying (latent) social structure of the group from such data remains an important open problem. While intuitively appealing measures of social interaction exist in the literature, they typically lack formal statistical grounding. In this article, we provide a statistical approach to the problem of inferring the social structure of a group from the movement patterns of its members. By constructing an appropriate null model, we are able to construct a significance test to detect meaningful affiliations between members of the group. We demonstrate our method on large-scale real-world data sets of positional data of flocks of Merino sheep, Ovis aries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Furmston
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - A. Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Hailes
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Strömbom D, Mann RP, Wilson AM, Hailes S, Morton AJ, Sumpter DJT, King AJ. Solving the shepherding problem: heuristics for herding autonomous, interacting agents. J R Soc Interface 2015; 11:20140719. [PMID: 25165603 PMCID: PMC4191104 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Herding of sheep by dogs is a powerful example of one individual causing many unwilling individuals to move in the same direction. Similar phenomena are central to crowd control, cleaning the environment and other engineering problems. Despite single dogs solving this ‘shepherding problem’ every day, it remains unknown which algorithm they employ or whether a general algorithm exists for shepherding. Here, we demonstrate such an algorithm, based on adaptive switching between collecting the agents when they are too dispersed and driving them once they are aggregated. Our algorithm reproduces key features of empirical data collected from sheep–dog interactions and suggests new ways in which robots can be designed to influence movements of living and artificial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Strömbom
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75106, Sweden
| | - Richard P Mann
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75106, Sweden
| | - Alan M Wilson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Stephen Hailes
- Department of Computer Science, University College of London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - David J T Sumpter
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75106, Sweden
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
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Koene P, Ipema B. Social Networks and Welfare in Future Animal Management. Animals (Basel) 2014; 4:93-118. [PMID: 26479886 PMCID: PMC4494306 DOI: 10.3390/ani4010093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Living in a stable social environment is important to animals. Animal species have developed social behaviors and rules of approach and avoidance of conspecifics in order to co-exist. Animal species are kept or domesticated without explicit regard for their inherent social behavior and rules. Examples of social structures are provided for four species kept and managed by humans. This information is important for the welfare management of these species. In the near future, automatic measurement of social structures will provide a tool for daily welfare management together with nearest neighbor information. Abstract It may become advantageous to keep human-managed animals in the social network groups to which they have adapted. Data concerning the social networks of farm animal species and their ancestors are scarce but essential to establishing the importance of a natural social network for farmed animal species. Social Network Analysis (SNA) facilitates the characterization of social networking at group, subgroup and individual levels. SNA is currently used for modeling the social behavior and management of wild animals and social welfare of zoo animals. It has been recognized for use with farm animals but has yet to be applied for management purposes. Currently, the main focus is on cattle, because in large groups (poultry), recording of individuals is expensive and the existence of social networks is uncertain due to on-farm restrictions. However, in many cases, a stable social network might be important to individual animal fitness, survival and welfare. For instance, when laying hens are not too densely housed, simple networks may be established. We describe here small social networks in horses, brown bears, laying hens and veal calves to illustrate the importance of measuring social networks among animals managed by humans. Emphasis is placed on the automatic measurement of identity, location, nearest neighbors and nearest neighbor distance for management purposes. It is concluded that social networks are important to the welfare of human-managed animal species and that welfare management based on automatic recordings will become available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Koene
- Department of Animal Welfare, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands.
| | - Bert Ipema
- Department of Farm Systems, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands.
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Krause J, Krause S, Arlinghaus R, Psorakis I, Roberts S, Rutz C. Reality mining of animal social systems. Trends Ecol Evol 2013; 28:541-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2012] [Revised: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Pinter-Wollman N, Hobson EA, Smith JE, Edelman AJ, Shizuka D, de Silva S, Waters JS, Prager SD, Sasaki T, Wittemyer G, Fewell J, McDonald DB. The dynamics of animal social networks: analytical, conceptual, and theoretical advances. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Amato KR, Van Belle S, Wilkinson B. A comparison of scan and focal sampling for the description of wild primate activity, diet and intragroup spatial relationships. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 84:87-101. [PMID: 23548732 DOI: 10.1159/000348305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We used data collected during two concurrent studies of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in Palenque National Park, Mexico, to compare systematically three methods of behavioral data collection [group activity scan sampling (group scans), instantaneous focal individual sampling (instantaneous focals) and continuous focal individual sampling (continuous focals)] and three methods of proximity data collection [group proximity scan sampling (group proximity scans), focal individual proximity scan sampling (focal proximity scans) and instantaneous focal individual nearest neighbor sampling (focal nearest neighbor samples)]. We conducted pairwise comparisons of data among methods using Pearson correlations and one-sample t tests. A series of Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to compare the activity and proximity patterns of adult males, adult females and juveniles described by each method. The three behavioral data collection methods generally provided similar information about activity and diet. However, important differences for both activity and proximity data existed among methods. Instantaneous focals overestimated the percentage of time spent in social interactions, while group scans overestimated time spent moving and underestimated time spent feeding. Group proximity scans and focal proximity scans provided similar spatial data, while focal nearest neighbor samples were more appropriate for determining the influence of one individual on another at any given moment. These biases suggest the importance of deliberate method selection during project design and highlight the need for taking methods into account when comparing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Amato
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
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Determining shoal membership using affinity propagation. Behav Brain Res 2013; 241:38-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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King AJ, Wilson AM, Wilshin SD, Lowe J, Haddadi H, Hailes S, Morton AJ. Selfish-herd behaviour of sheep under threat. Curr Biol 2012; 22:R561-2. [PMID: 22835787 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Flocking is a striking example of collective behaviour that is found in insect swarms, fish schools and mammal herds. A major factor in the evolution of flocking behaviour is thought to be predation, whereby larger and/or more cohesive groups are better at detecting predators (as, for example, in the 'many eyes theory'), and diluting the effects of predators (as in the 'selfish-herd theory') than are individuals in smaller and/or dispersed groups. The former theory assumes that information (passively or actively transferred) can be disseminated more effectively in larger/cohesive groups, while the latter assumes that there are spatial benefits to individuals in a large group, since individuals can alter their spatial position relative to their group-mates and any potential predator, thus reducing their predation risk. We used global positioning system (GPS) data to characterise the response of a group of 'prey' animals (a flock of sheep) to an approaching 'predator' (a herding dog). Analyses of relative sheep movement trajectories showed that sheep exhibit a strong attraction towards the centre of the flock under threat, a pattern that we could re-create using a simple model. These results support the long-standing assertion that individuals can respond to potential danger by moving towards the centre of a fleeing group.
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Quera V, Beltran FS, Dolado R. Determining shoal membership: A comparison between momentary and trajectory-based methods. Behav Brain Res 2011; 225:363-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Revised: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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