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Ioannou CC, Laskowski KL. A multi-scale review of the dynamics of collective behaviour: from rapid responses to ontogeny and evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220059. [PMID: 36802782 PMCID: PMC9939272 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0059] [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: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective behaviours, such as flocking in birds or decision making by bee colonies, are some of the most intriguing behavioural phenomena in the animal kingdom. The study of collective behaviour focuses on the interactions between individuals within groups, which typically occur over close ranges and short timescales, and how these interactions drive larger scale properties such as group size, information transfer within groups and group-level decision making. To date, however, most studies have focused on snapshots, typically studying collective behaviour over short timescales up to minutes or hours. However, being a biological trait, much longer timescales are important in animal collective behaviour, particularly how individuals change over their lifetime (the domain of developmental biology) and how individuals change from one generation to the next (the domain of evolutionary biology). Here, we give an overview of collective behaviour across timescales from the short to the long, illustrating how a full understanding of this behaviour in animals requires much more research attention on its developmental and evolutionary biology. Our review forms the prologue of this special issue, which addresses and pushes forward understanding the development and evolution of collective behaviour, encouraging a new direction for collective behaviour research. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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2
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Sridhar VH, Davidson JD, Twomey CR, Sosna MMG, Nagy M, Couzin ID. Inferring social influence in animal groups across multiple timescales. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220062. [PMID: 36802787 PMCID: PMC9939267 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal behaviours exhibit complex temporal dynamics, suggesting there are multiple timescales at which they should be studied. However, researchers often focus on behaviours that occur over relatively restricted temporal scales, typically ones that are more accessible to human observation. The situation becomes even more complex when considering multiple animals interacting, where behavioural coupling can introduce new timescales of importance. Here, we present a technique to study the time-varying nature of social influence in mobile animal groups across multiple temporal scales. As case studies, we analyse golden shiner fish and homing pigeons, which move in different media. By analysing pairwise interactions among individuals, we show that predictive power of the factors affecting social influence depends on the timescale of analysis. Over short timescales the relative position of a neighbour best predicts its influence and the distribution of influence across group members is relatively linear, with a small slope. At longer timescales, however, both relative position and kinematics are found to predict influence, and nonlinearity in the influence distribution increases, with a small number of individuals being disproportionately influential. Our results demonstrate that different interpretations of social influence arise from analysing behaviour at different timescales, highlighting the importance of considering its multiscale nature. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek H. Sridhar
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jacob D. Davidson
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Colin R. Twomey
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Mind Center for Outreach, Research, and Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew M. G. Sosna
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Máté Nagy
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,MTA-ELTE Statistical and Biological Physics Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary,MTA-ELTE ‘Lendület’ Collective Behaviour Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary,Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Iain D. Couzin
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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3
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Masello JF, Rast W, Schumm YR, Metzger B, Quillfeldt P. Year-round behavioural time budgets of common woodpigeons inferred from acceleration data using machine learning. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03306-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Accelerometers capture rapid changes in animal motion, and the analysis of large quantities of such data using machine learning algorithms enables the inference of broad animal behaviour categories such as foraging, flying, and resting over long periods of time. We deployed GPS-GSM/GPRS trackers with tri-axial acceleration sensors on common woodpigeons (Columba palumbus) from Hesse, Germany (forest and urban birds) and from Lisbon, Portugal (urban park). We used three machine learning algorithms, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Extreme Gradient Boosting, to classify the main behaviours of the birds, namely foraging, flying, and resting and calculated time budgets over the breeding and winter season. Woodpigeon time budgets varied between seasons, with more foraging time during the breeding season than in winter. Also, woodpigeons from different sites showed differences in the time invested in foraging. The proportion of time woodpigeons spent foraging was lowest in the forest habitat from Hesse, higher in the urban habitat of Hesse, and highest in the urban park in Lisbon. The time budgets we recorded contrast to previous findings in woodpigeons and reaffirm the importance of considering different populations to fully understand the behaviour and adaptation of a particular species to a particular environment. Furthermore, the differences in the time budgets of Woodpigeons from this study and previous ones might be related to environmental change and merit further attention and the future investigation of energy budgets.
Significance statement
In this study we took advantage of accelerometer technology and machine learning methods to investigate year-round behavioural time budgets of wild common woodpigeons (Columba palumbus). Our analysis focuses on identifying coarse-scale behaviours (foraging, flying, resting) using various machine learning algorithms. Woodpigeon time budgets varied between seasons and among sites. Particularly interesting is the result showing that urban woodpigeons spend more time foraging than forest conspecifics. Our study opens an opportunity to further investigate and understand how a successful bird species such as the woodpigeon copes with increasing environmental change and urbanisation. The increase in the proportion of time devoted to foraging might be one of the behavioural mechanisms involved but opens questions about the costs associated to such increase in terms of other important behaviours.
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4
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Perinot E, Fritz J, Fusani L, Voelkl B, Nobile MS. Characterization of bird formations using fuzzy modelling. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220798. [PMID: 36789511 PMCID: PMC9929497 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0798] [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] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The investigation of the emergent collective behaviour in flying birds is a challenging task, yet it has always fascinated scientists from different disciplines. In the attempt of studying and modelling line formation, we collected high-precision position data of 29 free-flying northern bald ibises (Geronticus eremita) using Global Navigation Satellite System loggers, to investigate whether the spatial relationships within a flock can be explained by birds maintaining energetically advantageous positions. Specifically, we exploited domain knowledge and available literature information to model by means of fuzzy logic where the air vortices lie behind a flying bird. This allowed us to determine when a leading bird provides the upwash to a following bird, reducing its overall effort. Our results show that the fuzzy model allows to easily distinguish which bird is flying in the wake of another individual, provides a clear indication about flying flock dynamics and also gives a hint about birds' social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Perinot
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna 1160, Austria,Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, 6162 Mutters, Austria
| | - Johannes Fritz
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, 6162 Mutters, Austria,Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna 1160, Austria,Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Waldrappteam Conservation and Research, 6162 Mutters, Austria,Animal Welfare Division, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marco S. Nobile
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 30123 Venezia, Italy,Bicocca Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Bioimaging research center (B4), 20900 Monza, Italy
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5
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Beyts C, Cella M, Colegrave N, Downie R, Martin JGA, Walsh P. The effect of heterospecific and conspecific competition on inter-individual differences in tungara frog tadpole ( Engystomops pustulosus) behavior. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:210-222. [PMID: 36998994 PMCID: PMC10047633 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Repeated social interactions with conspecifics and/or heterospecifics during early development may drive the differentiation of behavior among individuals. Competition is a major form of social interaction and its impacts can depend on whether interactions occur between conspecifics or heterospecifics and the directionality of a response could be specific to the ecological context that they are measured in. To test this, we reared tungara frog tadpoles (Engystomops pustulosus) either in isolation, with a conspecific tadpole or with an aggressive heterospecific tadpole, the whistling frog tadpole (Leptodactylus fuscus). In each treatment, we measured the body size and distance focal E. pustulosus tadpoles swam in familiar, novel and predator risk contexts six times during development. We used univariate and multivariate hierarchical mixed effect models to investigate the effect of treatment on mean behavior, variance among and within individuals, behavioral repeatability and covariance among individuals in their behavior between contexts. There was a strong effect of competition on behavior, with different population and individual level responses across social treatments. Within a familiar context, the variance in the distance swam within individuals decreased under conspecific competition but heterospecific competition caused more variance in the average distance swam among individuals. Behavioral responses were also context specific as conspecific competition caused an increase in the distance swam within individuals in novel and predator risk contexts. The results highlight that the impact of competition on among and within individual variance in behavior is dependent on both competitor species identity and context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cammy Beyts
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh , Easter Bush , Midlothian, EH25 9RG , UK
| | - Maddalena Cella
- Digital Futures, Warnford Court , 29 Throngmorton Street, London, EC2N 2AT , UK
| | - Nick Colegrave
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh , West Mains Road, EH9 3JT , UK
| | - Roger Downie
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, R205A Level 2, The University of Glasgow , G12 8QQ , UK
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, Marie-Curie Private, University of Ottawa , Ontario, K1N 9A7 , Canada
| | - Patrick Walsh
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh , West Mains Road, EH9 3JT , UK
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6
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Weidig NC, Miller AL, Parker AT. The Goldilocks principle: Finding the balance between water volume and nutrients for ovipositing Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277237. [PMID: 36355844 PMCID: PMC9648744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Females of container-breeding mosquito species use visual and chemical cues to determine suitable habitats to oviposit their eggs. Female Culex mosquitoes oviposit single egg rafts containing hundreds of eggs on the surface of water in container habitats. In this project, the effects of water volume and nutrient concentration were studied using three semi-controlled field assays to determine the role these parameters play on female Culex mosquito oviposition preference. The results of this study suggest female Culex prefer to oviposit in larger volumes of water and higher concentrations of nutrients separately, but chose intermediate conditions when presented with a combination of these two variables, which follows the Goldilocks principle. This choice may provide their offspring with optimal conditions for development by reducing intraspecific competition, thereby maximizing the biological fitness of the ovipositing Culex females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah C. Weidig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Amber L. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Allison T. Parker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Michelangeli M, Martin JM, Pinter-Wollman N, Ioannou CC, McCallum ES, Bertram MG, Brodin T. Predicting the impacts of chemical pollutants on animal groups. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:789-802. [PMID: 35718586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical pollution is among the fastest-growing agents of global change. Synthetic chemicals with diverse modes-of-action are being detected in the tissues of wildlife and pervade entire food webs. Although such pollutants can elicit a range of sublethal effects on individual organisms, research on how chemical pollutants affect animal groups is severely lacking. Here we synthesise research from two related, but largely segregated fields - ecotoxicology and behavioural ecology - to examine pathways by which chemical contaminants could disrupt processes that govern the emergence, self-organisation, and collective function of animal groups. Our review provides a roadmap for prioritising the study of chemical pollutants within the context of sociality and highlights important methodological advancements for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.
| | - Jake M Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
| | - Erin S McCallum
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Michael G Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
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8
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Pigeon leadership hierarchies are not dependent on environmental contexts or individual phenotypes. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104629. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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9
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Papadopoulou M, Hildenbrandt H, Sankey DWE, Portugal SJ, Hemelrijk CK. Emergence of splits and collective turns in pigeon flocks under predation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211898. [PMID: 35223068 PMCID: PMC8864349 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Complex patterns of collective behaviour may emerge through self-organization, from local interactions among individuals in a group. To understand what behavioural rules underlie these patterns, computational models are often necessary. These rules have not yet been systematically studied for bird flocks under predation. Here, we study airborne flocks of homing pigeons attacked by a robotic falcon, combining empirical data with a species-specific computational model of collective escape. By analysing GPS trajectories of flocking individuals, we identify two new patterns of collective escape: early splits and collective turns, occurring even at large distances from the predator. To examine their formation, we extend an agent-based model of pigeons with a 'discrete' escape manoeuvre by a single initiator, namely a sudden turn interrupting the continuous coordinated motion of the group. Both splits and collective turns emerge from this rule. Their relative frequency depends on the angular velocity and position of the initiator in the flock: sharp turns by individuals at the periphery lead to more splits than collective turns. We confirm this association in the empirical data. Our study highlights the importance of discrete and uncoordinated manoeuvres in the collective escape of bird flocks and advocates the systematic study of their patterns across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Papadopoulou
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hanno Hildenbrandt
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Charlotte K. Hemelrijk
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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10
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Papadopoulou M, Hildenbrandt H, Sankey DWE, Portugal SJ, Hemelrijk CK. Self-organization of collective escape in pigeon flocks. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009772. [PMID: 35007287 PMCID: PMC8782486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bird flocks under predation demonstrate complex patterns of collective escape. These patterns may emerge by self-organization from local interactions among group-members. Computational models have been shown to be valuable for identifying what behavioral rules may govern such interactions among individuals during collective motion. However, our knowledge of such rules for collective escape is limited by the lack of quantitative data on bird flocks under predation in the field. In the present study, we analyze the first GPS trajectories of pigeons in airborne flocks attacked by a robotic falcon in order to build a species-specific model of collective escape. We use our model to examine a recently identified distance-dependent pattern of collective behavior: the closer the prey is to the predator, the higher the frequency with which flock members turn away from it. We first extract from the empirical data of pigeon flocks the characteristics of their shape and internal structure (bearing angle and distance to nearest neighbors). Combining these with information on their coordination from the literature, we build an agent-based model adjusted to pigeons' collective escape. We show that the pattern of turning away from the predator with increased frequency when the predator is closer arises without prey prioritizing escape when the predator is near. Instead, it emerges through self-organization from a behavioral rule to avoid the predator independently of their distance to it. During this self-organization process, we show how flock members increase their consensus over which direction to escape and turn collectively as the predator gets closer. Our results suggest that coordination among flock members, combined with simple escape rules, reduces the cognitive costs of tracking the predator while flocking. Such escape rules that are independent of the distance to the predator can now be investigated in other species. Our study showcases the important role of computational models in the interpretation of empirical findings of collective behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Papadopoulou
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hanno Hildenbrandt
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel W. E. Sankey
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte K. Hemelrijk
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Killen SS, Cortese D, Cotgrove L, Jolles JW, Munson A, Ioannou CC. The Potential for Physiological Performance Curves to Shape Environmental Effects on Social Behavior. Front Physiol 2021; 12:754719. [PMID: 34858209 PMCID: PMC8632012 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.754719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As individual animals are exposed to varying environmental conditions, phenotypic plasticity will occur in a vast array of physiological traits. For example, shifts in factors such as temperature and oxygen availability can affect the energy demand, cardiovascular system, and neuromuscular function of animals that in turn impact individual behavior. Here, we argue that nonlinear changes in the physiological traits and performance of animals across environmental gradients—known as physiological performance curves—may have wide-ranging effects on the behavior of individual social group members and the functioning of animal social groups as a whole. Previous work has demonstrated how variation between individuals can have profound implications for socially living animals, as well as how environmental conditions affect social behavior. However, the importance of variation between individuals in how they respond to changing environmental conditions has so far been largely overlooked in the context of animal social behavior. First, we consider the broad effects that individual variation in performance curves may have on the behavior of socially living animals, including: (1) changes in the rank order of performance capacity among group mates across environments; (2) environment-dependent changes in the amount of among- and within-individual variation, and (3) differences among group members in terms of the environmental optima, the critical environmental limits, and the peak capacity and breadth of performance. We then consider the ecological implications of these effects for a range of socially mediated phenomena, including within-group conflict, within- and among group assortment, collective movement, social foraging, predator-prey interactions and disease and parasite transfer. We end by outlining the type of empirical work required to test the implications for physiological performance curves in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun S Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Daphne Cortese
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cotgrove
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jolle W Jolles
- Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Campus de Bellaterra (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amelia Munson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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12
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Portugal SJ, White CR. Externally attached biologgers cause compensatory body mass loss in birds. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham UK
| | - Craig R. White
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton, Melbourne Vic. Australia
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13
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Wang X, Xia DP, Sun BH, Li JH. Coordination and consensus: the role of compromisers in Tibetan macaques. Curr Zool 2021; 67:411-418. [PMID: 34616938 PMCID: PMC8489031 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordination and consensus in collective behavior have attracted a lot of research interest. Although previous studies have investigated the role of compromisers in group consensus, they provide little insight into why compromisers would allow such social arrangements to persist. In this study, the potential relationship between group movements and conflict management in Tibetan macaques in Anhui province, China, was investigated using hierarchical cluster analyses. Some members with higher social centrality or social rank often formed a front-runner cluster during group movements. They had higher leadership success than individuals outside the front-runner cluster. Other members with lower social centrality or social rank often followed the group movements initiated by the front-runner cluster, and thus formed the compromiser cluster. Compromisers’ proximity relations with front-runners increased with their following scores to front-runners. Compromisers had fewer events of being attacked when they followed group movements initiated by the front-runners. The compromising process made compromisers lose the choice of direction preference, but it could increase their individual safeties. This trade-off suggests that compromisers play a role of decision-maker in coordination and consensus scenarios among social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.,International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Dong-Po Xia
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China.,School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Bing-Hua Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.,International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jin-Hua Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.,International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China.,School of Life Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
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14
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Harel R, Loftus JC, Crofoot MC. Locomotor compromises maintain group cohesion in baboon troops on the move. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210839. [PMID: 34315256 PMCID: PMC8316813 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
When members of a group differ in locomotor capacity, coordinating collective movement poses a challenge: some individuals may have to move faster (or slower) than their preferred speed to remain together. Such compromises have energetic repercussions, yet research in collective behaviour has largely neglected locomotor consensus costs. Here, we integrate high-resolution tracking of wild baboon locomotion and movement with simulations to demonstrate that size-based variation in locomotor capacity poses an obstacle to the collective movement. While all baboons modulate their gait and move-pause dynamics during collective movement, the costs of maintaining cohesion are disproportionately borne by smaller group members. Although consensus costs are not distributed equally, all group-mates do make locomotor compromises, suggesting a shared decision-making process drives the pace of collective movement in this highly despotic species. These results highlight the importance of considering how social dynamics and locomotor capacity interact to shape the movement ecology of group-living species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Harel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - J Carter Loftus
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Life Sciences institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel 9190401.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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15
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Absence of "selfish herd" dynamics in bird flocks under threat. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3192-3198.e7. [PMID: 34089647 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The "selfish herd" hypothesis1 provides a potential mechanism to explain a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature: that of non-kin aggregations. Individuals in selfish herds are thought to benefit by reducing their own risk at the expense of conspecifics by attracting toward their neighbors' positions1,2 or central locations in the aggregation.3-5 Alternatively, increased alignment with their neighbors' orientation could reduce the chance of predation through information sharing6-8 or collective escape.6 Using both small and large flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia; n = 8-10 or n = 27-34 individuals) tagged with 5-Hz GPS loggers and a GPS-tagged, remote-controlled model peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), we tested whether individuals increase their use of attraction over alignment when under perceived threat. We conducted n = 27 flights in treatment conditions, chased by the robotic "predator," and n = 16 flights in control conditions (not chased). Despite responding strongly to the RobotFalcon-by turning away from its flight direction-individuals in treatment flocks demonstrated no increased attraction compared with control flocks, and this result held across both flock sizes. We suggest that mutualistic alignment is more advantageous than selfish attraction in groups with a high coincidence of individual and collective interests (adaptive hypothesis). However, we also explore alternative explanations, such as high cognitive demand under threat and collision avoidance (mechanistic hypotheses). We conclude that selfish herd may not be an appropriate paradigm for understanding the function of highly synchronous collective motion, as observed in bird flocks and perhaps also fish shoals and highly aligned mammal aggregations, such as moving herds.
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16
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Garde B, Wilson RP, Lempidakis E, Börger L, Portugal SJ, Hedenström A, Dell'Omo G, Quetting M, Wikelski M, Shepard ELC. Fine-scale changes in speed and altitude suggest protean movements in homing pigeon flights. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210130. [PMID: 34017602 PMCID: PMC8131938 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The power curve provides a basis for predicting adjustments that animals make in flight speed, for example in relation to wind, distance, habitat foraging quality and objective. However, relatively few studies have examined how animals respond to the landscape below them, which could affect speed and power allocation through modifications in climb rate and perceived predation risk. We equipped homing pigeons (Columba livia) with high-frequency loggers to examine how flight speed, and hence effort, varies in relation to topography and land cover. Pigeons showed mixed evidence for an energy-saving strategy, as they minimized climb rates by starting their ascent ahead of hills, but selected rapid speeds in their ascents. Birds did not modify their speed substantially in relation to land cover, but used higher speeds during descending flight, highlighting the importance of considering the rate of change in altitude before estimating power use from speed. Finally, we document an unexpected variability in speed and altitude over fine scales; a source of substantial energetic inefficiency. We suggest this may be a form of protean behaviour adopted to reduce predation risk when flocking is not an option, and that such a strategy could be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Garde
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Emmanouil Lempidakis
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Anders Hedenström
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Michael Quetting
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
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17
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Portugal SJ, Usherwood JR, White CR, Sankey DWE, Wilson AM. Artificial mass loading disrupts stable social order in pigeon dominance hierarchies. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200468. [PMID: 32750272 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies confer benefits to group members by decreasing the incidences of physical conflict, but may result in certain lower ranked individuals consistently missing out on access to resources. Here, we report a linear dominance hierarchy remaining stable over time in a closed population of birds. We show that this stability can be disrupted, however, by the artificial mass loading of birds that typically comprise the bottom 50% of the hierarchy. Mass loading causes these low-ranked birds to immediately become more aggressive and rise-up the dominance hierarchy; however, this effect was only evident in males and was absent in females. Removal of the artificial mass causes the hierarchy to return to its previous structure. This interruption of a stable hierarchy implies a strong direct link between body mass and social behaviour and suggests that an individual's personality can be altered by the artificial manipulation of body mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Portugal
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - James R Usherwood
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Craig R White
- Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel W E Sankey
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Alan M Wilson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
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18
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Portugal SJ. Bird flocks. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R206-R210. [PMID: 32155419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Steven Portugal introduces the behavioral and aerodynamic underpinnings of aerial flocking in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK.
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19
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Jolles JW, King AJ, Killen SS. The Role of Individual Heterogeneity in Collective Animal Behaviour. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:278-291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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