1
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Ogino M, Farine DR. Collective intelligence facilitates emergent resource partitioning through frequency-dependent learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230177. [PMID: 39034703 PMCID: PMC11293853 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Deciding where to forage must not only account for variations in habitat quality but also where others might forage. Recent studies have suggested that when individuals remember recent foraging outcomes, negative frequency-dependent learning can allow them to avoid resources exploited by others (indirect competition). This process can drive the emergence of consistent differences in resource use (resource partitioning) at the population level. However, indirect cues of competition can be difficult for individuals to sense. Here, we propose that information pooling through collective decision-making-i.e. collective intelligence-can allow populations of group-living animals to more effectively partition resources relative to populations of solitary animals. We test this hypothesis by simulating (i) individuals preferring to forage where they were recently successful and (ii) cohesive groups that choose one resource using a majority rule. While solitary animals can partially avoid indirect competition through negative frequency-dependent learning, resource partitioning is more likely to emerge in populations of group-living animals. Populations of larger groups also better partition resources than populations of smaller groups, especially in environments with more choices. Our results give insight into the value of long- versus short-term memory, home range sizes and the evolution of specialization, optimal group sizes and territoriality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ogino
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, KonstanzAm Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, KonstanzAm Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, CanberraACT 2600, Australia
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2
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Miles J, Vowles AS, Kemp PS. The role of collective behaviour in fish response to visual cues. Behav Processes 2024; 220:105079. [PMID: 39025319 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of group size (individual, groups of five, and 20) on the response of common minnow to visual cues created by vertical black and white stripes over time. The stripes were displayed on a monitor either at one end of an experimental tank, while the other was uniform white, or both ends simultaneously. Reponses were compared with a control (stripes absent). Visual cues were pseudo-randomly presented every 15-minutes over six-hours. Three predictions were made: first, due to more efficient flow of information, larger groups would respond more rapidly (Rate of response) to the visual cues. Second, assuming visual cues provide a proxy for structure and larger groups experience greater benefits of group membership due to reduced predatory risk, there will be stronger association (Strength of association and Final association) with stripes for individuals and smaller groups compared with larger groups. Consequently, the association with visual cues exhibited by larger groups would diminish over time compared to smaller, more risk averse groups. As expected, larger groups exhibited a faster Rate of response to visual cues, and individual fish a greater Strength of association compared with the largest group size. Final association, however, was more common for larger groups compared to both smaller groups and individuals. Contrary to the final prediction, responses to visual cues did not decrease over time for any group size, suggesting innate behaviour or an experimental duration insufficient to observe habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Miles
- The International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, University of Southampton, Building 178, Boldrewood Innovation Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF, UK.
| | - Andrew S Vowles
- The International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, University of Southampton, Building 178, Boldrewood Innovation Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF, UK
| | - Paul S Kemp
- The International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research, University of Southampton, Building 178, Boldrewood Innovation Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF, UK
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3
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Li J, Yang SX. Intelligent Fish-Inspired Foraging of Swarm Robots with Sub-Group Behaviors Based on Neurodynamic Models. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:16. [PMID: 38248591 PMCID: PMC10813167 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel intelligent approach to swarm robotics, drawing inspiration from the collective foraging behavior exhibited by fish schools. A bio-inspired neural network (BINN) and a self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm are used to enable the swarm to emulate fish-like behaviors such as collision-free navigation and dynamic sub-group formation. The swarm robots are designed to adaptively reconfigure their movements in response to environmental changes, mimicking the flexibility and robustness of fish foraging patterns. The simulation results show that the proposed approach demonstrates improved cooperation, efficiency, and adaptability in various scenarios. The proposed approach shows significant strides in the field of swarm robotics by successfully implementing fish-inspired foraging strategies. The integration of neurodynamic models with swarm intelligence not only enhances the autonomous capabilities of individual robots, but also improves the collective efficiency of the swarm robots.
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4
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MacGregor HEA, Ioannou CC. Shoaling behaviour in response to turbidity in three-spined sticklebacks. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10708. [PMID: 37941736 PMCID: PMC10630046 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fresh and coastal waters are becoming increasingly turbid because of human activities, which may disrupt the visually mediated behaviours of aquatic organisms. Shoaling fish typically depend on vision to maintain collective behaviour, which has a range of benefits including protection from predators, enhanced foraging efficiency and access to mates. Previous studies of the effects of turbidity on shoaling behaviour have focussed on changes to nearest neighbour distance and average group-level behaviours. Here, we investigated whether and how experimental shoals of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in clear (<10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units [NTU]) and turbid (~35 NTU) conditions differed in five local-level behaviours of individuals (nearest and furthest neighbour distance, heading difference with nearest neighbour, bearing angle to nearest neighbour and swimming speed). These variables are important for the emergent group-level properties of shoaling behaviour. We found an indirect effect of turbidity on nearest neighbour distances driven by a reduction in swimming speed, and a direct effect of turbidity which increased variability in furthest neighbour distances. In contrast, the alignment and relative position of individuals was not significantly altered in turbid compared to clear conditions. Overall, our results suggest that the shoals were usually robust to adverse effects of turbidity on collective behaviour, but group cohesion was occasionally lost during periods of instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. A. MacGregor
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
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5
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Connor J, Joordens M, Champion B. Fish-inspired robotic algorithm: mimicking behaviour and communication of schooling fish. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:066007. [PMID: 37714177 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acfa52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to present a novel flocking algorithm for robotic fish that will aid the study of fish in their natural environment. The algorithm, fish-inspired robotic algorithm (FIRA), amalgamates the standard flocking behaviors of attraction, alignment, and repulsion, together with predator avoidance, foraging, general obstacle avoidance, and wandering. The novelty of the FIRA algorithm is the combination of predictive elements to counteract processing delays from sensors and the addition of memory. Furthermore, FIRA is specifically designed to work with an indirect communication method that leads to superior performance in collision avoidance, exploration, foraging, and the emergence of realistic behaviors. By leveraging a high-latency, non-guaranteed communication methodology inspired by stigmergy methods inherent in nature, FIRA successfully addresses some of the obstacles associated with underwater communication. This breakthrough enables the realization of inexpensive, multi-agent swarms while concurrently harnessing the advantages of tetherless communication. FIRA provides a computational light control algorithm for further research with low-cost, low-computing agents. Eventually, FIRA will be used to assimilate robots into a school of biological fish, to study or influence the school. This study endeavors to demonstrate the effectiveness of FIRA by simulating it using a digital twin of a bio-inspired robotic fish. The simulation incorporates the robot's motion and sensors in a realistic, real-time environment with the algorithm used to direct the movements of individual agents. The performance of FIRA was tested against other collective flocking algorithms to determine its effectiveness. From the experiments, it was determined that FIRA outperformed the other algorithms in both collision avoidance and exploration. These experiments establish FIRA as a viable flocking algorithm to mimic fish behavior in robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Connor
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Matthew Joordens
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Benjamin Champion
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
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6
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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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7
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Collet J, Morford J, Lewin P, Bonnet-Lebrun AS, Sasaki T, Biro D. Mechanisms of collective learning: how can animal groups improve collective performance when repeating a task? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220060. [PMID: 36802785 PMCID: PMC9939276 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning is ubiquitous in animals: individuals can use their experience to fine-tune behaviour and thus to better adapt to the environment during their lifetime. Observations have accumulated that, at the collective level, groups can also use their experience to improve collective performance. Yet, despite apparent simplicity, the links between individual learning capacities and a collective's performance can be extremely complex. Here we propose a centralized and broadly applicable framework to begin classifying this complexity. Focusing principally on groups with stable composition, we first identify three distinct ways through which groups can improve their collective performance when repeating a task: each member learning to better solve the task on its own, members learning about each other to better respond to one another and members learning to improve their complementarity. We show through selected empirical examples, simulations and theoretical treatments that these three categories identify distinct mechanisms with distinct consequences and predictions. These mechanisms extend well beyond current social learning and collective decision-making theories in explaining collective learning. Finally, our approach, definitions and categories help generate new empirical and theoretical research avenues, including charting the expected distribution of collective learning capacities across taxa and its links to social stability and evolution. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Collet
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Zoology, Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth-Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS – La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Joe Morford
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Patrick Lewin
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Anne-Sophie Bonnet-Lebrun
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS – La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Takao Sasaki
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
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8
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Reina A, Bose T, Srivastava V, Marshall JAR. Asynchrony rescues statistically optimal group decisions from information cascades through emergent leaders. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230175. [PMID: 36938538 PMCID: PMC10014242 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230175] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
It is usually assumed that information cascades are most likely to occur when an early but incorrect opinion spreads through the group. Here, we analyse models of confidence-sharing in groups and reveal the opposite result: simple but plausible models of naive-Bayesian decision-making exhibit information cascades when group decisions are synchronous; however, when group decisions are asynchronous, the early decisions reached by Bayesian decision-makers tend to be correct and dominate the group consensus dynamics. Thus early decisions actually rescue the group from making errors, rather than contribute to it. We explore the likely realism of our assumed decision-making rule with reference to the evolution of mechanisms for aggregating social information, and known psychological and neuroscientific mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreagiovanni Reina
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies on Artificial Intelligence (IRIDIA), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 4DP, UK
| | - Thomas Bose
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 4DP, UK
| | - Vaibhav Srivastava
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1226, USA
| | - James A. R. Marshall
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 4DP, UK
- Opteran Technologies Limited, Sheffield, UK
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9
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Personality variation is eroded by simple social behaviours in collective foragers. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010908. [PMID: 36862622 PMCID: PMC9980820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The movement of groups can be heavily influenced by 'leader' individuals who differ from the others in some way. A major source of differences between individuals is the repeatability and consistency of their behaviour, commonly considered as their 'personality', which can influence both position within a group as well as the tendency to lead. However, links between personality and behaviour may also depend upon the immediate social environment of the individual; individuals who behave consistently in one way when alone may not express the same behaviour socially, when they may be conforming with the behaviour of others. Experimental evidence shows that personality differences can be eroded in social situations, but there is currently a lack of theory to identify the conditions where we would expect personality to be suppressed. Here, we develop a simple individual-based framework considering a small group of individuals with differing tendencies to perform risky behaviours when travelling away from a safe home site towards a foraging site, and compare the group behaviours when the individuals follow differing rules for aggregation behaviour determining how much attention they pay to the actions of their fellow group-members. We find that if individuals pay attention to the other members of the group, the group will tend to remain at the safe site for longer, but then travel faster towards the foraging site. This demonstrates that simple social behaviours can result in the repression of consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour, giving the first theoretical consideration of the social mechanisms behind personality suppression.
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10
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Conformity and differentiation are two sides of the same coin. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:545-553. [PMID: 36803986 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Variation between individuals is a key component of selection and hence evolutionary change. Social interactions are important drivers of variation, potentially making behaviour more similar (i.e., conform) or divergent (i.e., differentiate) between individuals. While documented across a wide range of animals, behaviours and contexts, conformity and differentiation are typically considered separately. Here, we argue that rather than independent concepts, they can be integrated onto a single scale that considers how social interactions drive changes in interindividual variance within groups: conformity reduces variance within groups while differentiation increases it. We discuss the advantages of placing conformity and differentiation at different ends of a single scale, allowing for a deeper understanding of the relationship between social interactions and interindividual variation.
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11
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Scott E, Edgley DE, Smith A, Joyce DA, Genner MJ, Ioannou CC, Hauert S. Lateral line morphology, sensory perception and collective behaviour in African cichlid fish. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221478. [PMID: 36704254 PMCID: PMC9874273 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The lateral line system of fishes provides cues for collective behaviour, such as shoaling, but it remains unclear how anatomical lateral line variation leads to behavioural differences among species. Here we studied associations between lateral line morphology and collective behaviour using two morphologically divergent species and their second-generation hybrids. We identify collective behaviours associated with variation in canal and superficial lateral line morphology, with closer proximities to neighbouring fish associated with larger canal pore sizes and fewer superficial neuromasts. A mechanistic understanding of the observed associations was provided by hydrodynamic modelling of an artificial lateral line sensor, which showed that simulated canal-based neuromasts were less susceptible to saturation during unidirectional movement than simulated superficial neuromasts, while increasing the canal pore size of the simulated lateral line sensor elevated sensitivity to vortices shed by neighbouring fish. Our results propose a mechanism behind lateral line flow sensing during collective behaviour in fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Scott
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Duncan E. Edgley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Alan Smith
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Domino A. Joyce
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Martin J. Genner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - Sabine Hauert
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
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12
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Variation in plastic consumption: social group size enhances individual susceptibility to an evolutionary trap. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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13
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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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14
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Jiang M, Wang M, Shi Q, Wei L, Lin Y, Wu D, Liu B, Nie X, Qiao H, Xu L, Yang T, Wang Z. Evolution and neural representation of mammalian cooperative behavior. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110029. [PMID: 34788618 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperation is common in nature and is pivotal to the development of human society. However, the details of how and why cooperation evolved remain poorly understood. Cross-species investigation of cooperation may help to elucidate the evolution of cooperative strategies. Thus, we design an automated cooperative behavioral paradigm and quantitatively examine the cooperative abilities and strategies of mice, rats, and tree shrews. We find that social communication plays a key role in the establishment of cooperation and that increased cooperative ability and a more efficient cooperative strategy emerge as a function of the evolutionary hierarchy of the tested species. Moreover, we demonstrate that single-unit activities in the orbitofrontal and prelimbic cortex in rats represent neural signals that may be used to distinguish between the cooperative and non-cooperative tasks, and such signals are distinct from the reward signals. Both signals may represent distinct components of the internal drive for cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengping Jiang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Miaoyaoxin Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianqian Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Wei
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yongqin Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dingcheng Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Boyi Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiupeng Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Hong Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Tianming Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Zuoren Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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15
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Water clarity affects collective behavior in two cyprinid fishes. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03060-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Attwell JR, Ioannou CC, Reid CR, Herbert-Read JE. Fish Avoid Visually Noisy Environments Where Prey Targeting Is Reduced. Am Nat 2021; 198:421-432. [PMID: 34403312 DOI: 10.1086/715434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe environment contains different forms of ecological noise that can reduce the ability of animals to detect information. Here, we ask whether animals adapt their behavior to either exploit or avoid areas of their environment with increased dynamic visual noise. Three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were immersed in environments with a simulated form of naturally occurring visual noise-moving light bands that form on underwater substrates caused by the refraction of light through surface waves. We tested whether this form of visual noise affected fish's habitat selection, movements, and prey-targeting behavior. Fish avoided areas of the environment with increased visual noise and achieved this by increasing their activity as a function of the locally perceived noise level. Fish were less likely to respond to virtual prey in environments with increased visual noise, highlighting a potential impact that visual noise has on their perceptual abilities. Fish did not increase or decrease their refuge use in environments with increased visual noise, providing no evidence that visual noise increased either exploratory or risk-aversive behavior. Our results indicate that animals can use simple behavioral strategies to avoid visually noisy environments, thereby mitigating the impacts that these environments appear to have on their perceptual abilities.
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17
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Dynamic visual noise promotes social attraction, but does not affect group size preference, in a shoaling fish. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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How the wisdom of crowds, and of the crowd within, are affected by expertise. COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2021; 6:5. [PMID: 33544255 PMCID: PMC7865038 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of expertise on the wisdom of crowds. Participants completed 60 trials of a numerical estimation task, during which they saw 50–100 asterisks and were asked to estimate how many stars they had just seen. Experiment 1 established that both inner- and outer-crowd wisdom extended to our novel task: Single responses alone were less accurate than responses aggregated across a single participant (showing inner-crowd wisdom) and responses aggregated across different participants were even more accurate (showing outer-crowd wisdom). In Experiment 2, prior to beginning the critical trials, participants did 12 practice trials with feedback, which greatly increased their accuracy. There was a benefit of outer-crowd wisdom relative to a single estimate. There was no inner-crowd wisdom effect, however; with high accuracy came highly restricted variance, and aggregating insufficiently varying responses is not beneficial. Our data suggest that experts give almost the same answer every time they are asked and so they should consult the outer crowd rather than solicit multiple estimates from themselves.
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19
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Vega-Trejo R, Boussard A, Wallander L, Estival E, Buechel SD, Kotrschal A, Kolm N. Artificial selection for schooling behaviour and its effects on associative learning abilities. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb235093. [PMID: 33139392 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.235093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of collective behaviour has been proposed to have important effects on individual cognitive abilities. Yet, in what way they are related remains enigmatic. In this context, the 'distributed cognition' hypothesis suggests that reliance on other group members relaxes selection for individual cognitive abilities. Here, we tested how cognitive processes respond to evolutionary changes in collective motion using replicate lines of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for the degree of schooling behaviour (group polarization) with >15% difference in schooling propensity. We assessed associative learning in females of these selection lines in a series of cognitive assays: colour associative learning, reversal learning, social associative learning, and individual and collective spatial associative learning. We found that control females were faster than polarization-selected females at fulfilling a learning criterion only in the colour associative learning assay, but they were also less likely to reach a learning criterion in the individual spatial associative learning assay. Hence, although testing several cognitive domains, we found weak support for the distributed cognition hypothesis. We propose that any cognitive implications of selection for collective behaviour lie outside of the cognitive abilities included in food-motivated associative learning for visual and spatial cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Vega-Trejo
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika Boussard
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lotta Wallander
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisa Estival
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Séverine D Buechel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Animal Sciences: Behavioural Ecology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Effects of multiple stressors on fish shoal collective motion are independent and vary with shoaling metric. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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21
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Rahman SR, Sajjad I, Mansoor MM, Belden J, Murphy CT, Truscott TT. School formation characteristics and stimuli based modeling of tetra fish. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2020; 15:065002. [PMID: 32629435 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aba2f6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Self-organizing motion is an important yet inadequately understood phenomena in the field of collective behavior. For birds flocks, insect swarms, and fish schools, group behavior can provide a mechanism for defense against predators, better foraging and mating capabilities and increased hydro/aerodynamic efficiency in long-distance migration events. Although collective motion has received much scientific attention, more work is required to model and understand the mechanisms responsible for school initiation and formation, and information transfer within these groups. Here we investigate schooling of black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) fish triggered by startle stimuli in the form of approaching objects. High-speed video and tagging techniques were used to track the school and individual members. We then measured several variables including reaction times, group formation shapes, fish velocity, group density, and leadership within the group. These data reveal three things: (1) information propagates through the group as a wave, indicating that each fish is not reacting individually to the stimulus, (2) the time taken for information to transfer across the group is independent of group density, and (3) information propagates across large groups faster than would be expected if the fish were simply responding to the motion of their nearest neighbor. A model was then built wherein simulated fish have a simple 'stimuli/escape' vector based on a hypothetical field of vision. The model was used to simulate a group of individual fish with initial conditions, size, and stimuli similar to the biological experiments. The model revealed similar behavior to the biological experiments and provide insights into the observed patterns, response times, and wave speeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Rahman
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States of America
| | - I Sajjad
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States of America
| | - M M Mansoor
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States of America
| | - J Belden
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, RI 02841, United States of America
| | - C T Murphy
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, RI 02841, United States of America
| | - T T Truscott
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States of America
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22
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Inside the Fish Brain: Cognition, Learning and Consciousness. Anim Welf 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41675-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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23
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Herbert-Read JE, Wade ASI, Ramnarine IW, Ioannou CC. Collective decision-making appears more egalitarian in populations where group fission costs are higher. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190556. [PMID: 31847746 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective decision-making is predicted to be more egalitarian in conditions where the costs of group fission are higher. Here, we ask whether Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) living in high or low predation environments, and thereby facing differential group fission costs, make collective decisions in line with this prediction. Using a classic decision-making scenario, we found that fish from high predation environments switched their positions within groups more frequently than fish from low predation environments. Because the relative positions individuals adopt in moving groups can influence their contribution towards group decisions, increased positional switching appears to support the prediction of more evenly distributed decision-making in populations where group fission costs are higher. In an agent-based model, we further identified that more frequent, asynchronous updating of individuals' positions could explain increased positional switching, as was observed in fish from high predation environments. Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions about the structure of collective decision-making and the adaptability of social decision-rules in the face of different environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Herbert-Read
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A S I Wade
- School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University, Bristol, UK
| | - I W Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - C C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University, Bristol, UK
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24
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Turbidity increases risk perception but constrains collective behaviour during foraging by fish shoals. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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25
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Kao AB, Berdahl AM, Hartnett AT, Lutz MJ, Bak-Coleman JB, Ioannou CC, Giam X, Couzin ID. Counteracting estimation bias and social influence to improve the wisdom of crowds. J R Soc Interface 2019; 15:rsif.2018.0130. [PMID: 29669894 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregating multiple non-expert opinions into a collective estimate can improve accuracy across many contexts. However, two sources of error can diminish collective wisdom: individual estimation biases and information sharing between individuals. Here, we measure individual biases and social influence rules in multiple experiments involving hundreds of individuals performing a classic numerosity estimation task. We first investigate how existing aggregation methods, such as calculating the arithmetic mean or the median, are influenced by these sources of error. We show that the mean tends to overestimate, and the median underestimate, the true value for a wide range of numerosities. Quantifying estimation bias, and mapping individual bias to collective bias, allows us to develop and validate three new aggregation measures that effectively counter sources of collective estimation error. In addition, we present results from a further experiment that quantifies the social influence rules that individuals employ when incorporating personal estimates with social information. We show that the corrected mean is remarkably robust to social influence, retaining high accuracy in the presence or absence of social influence, across numerosities and across different methods for averaging social information. Using knowledge of estimation biases and social influence rules may therefore be an inexpensive and general strategy to improve the wisdom of crowds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert B Kao
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew M Berdahl
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA.,School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Lutz
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Joseph B Bak-Coleman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany.,Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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26
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Romano D, Donati E, Benelli G, Stefanini C. A review on animal-robot interaction: from bio-hybrid organisms to mixed societies. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2019; 113:201-225. [PMID: 30430234 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-018-0787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are far superior to state-of-the-art robots as they have evolved a wide number of capabilities that far encompass our most advanced technologies. The merging of biological and artificial world, both physically and cognitively, represents a new trend in robotics that provides promising prospects to revolutionize the paradigms of conventional bio-inspired design as well as biological research. In this review, a comprehensive definition of animal-robot interactive technologies is given. They can be at animal level, by augmenting physical or mental capabilities through an integrated technology, or at group level, in which real animals interact with robotic conspecifics. Furthermore, an overview of the current state of the art and the recent trends in this novel context is provided. Bio-hybrid organisms represent a promising research area allowing us to understand how a biological apparatus (e.g. muscular and/or neural) works, thanks to the interaction with the integrated technologies. Furthermore, by using artificial agents, it is possible to shed light on social behaviours characterizing mixed societies. The robots can be used to manipulate groups of living organisms to understand self-organization and the evolution of cooperative behaviour and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy.
| | - Elisa Donati
- The Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
- HEIC Center, BME Department, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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27
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Xu JJ, Fu SJ, Fu C. Physiological and behavioral stress responses to predators are altered by prior predator experience in juvenile qingbo ( Spinibarbus sinensis). Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.041012. [PMID: 31097443 PMCID: PMC6550089 DOI: 10.1242/bio.041012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
All vertebrates exhibit physiological responses to predator stress and these responses are the basis of appropriate behavioral adaptation. We aimed to identify the physiological and behavioral responses of juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis) to its natural predator, the southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis) and to test whether these responses could be altered by prior predator experience. We measured the routine metabolic rate (RMR), cortisol levels and spontaneous behavior of both predator-naive and predator-experienced qingbo under predator-absent, predator-present and non-predator-present (Hemibarbus maculatus) conditions. Predator-naive qingbo showed a typical stress response in the form of increased RMR and cortisol when exposed to predators. Spontaneous activity showed no difference between prior-experience groups or among stimulus conditions when tested alone; however, when tested with a companion, predator-naive qingbo showed increased activity and decreased distance to the stimulus arena under the predator-present condition than they did under the predator-absent condition. Both predator-naive and predator-experienced qingbo showed different physiological and behavioral responses between predatory and non-predatory fish, which suggested that predator-naive qingbo can instinctually discriminate between natural predators and non-predators. Predator-naive qingbo increase their inspection behavior when exposed to a predator compared with the predator-absent condition only when tested with a companion, which is possibly due to decreased predation risk and increased boldness. Summary: A predator-naive carp can recognize its natural predator, and this recognition can be intensified by prior experience with a predator or the presence of a conspecific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jia Xu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Shi-Jian Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Cheng Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
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28
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Berdahl AM, Kao AB, Flack A, Westley PAH, Codling EA, Couzin ID, Dell AI, Biro D. Collective animal navigation and migratory culture: from theoretical models to empirical evidence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0009. [PMID: 29581394 PMCID: PMC5882979 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals often travel in groups, and their navigational decisions can be influenced by social interactions. Both theory and empirical observations suggest that such collective navigation can result in individuals improving their ability to find their way and could be one of the key benefits of sociality for these species. Here, we provide an overview of the potential mechanisms underlying collective navigation, review the known, and supposed, empirical evidence for such behaviour and highlight interesting directions for future research. We further explore how both social and collective learning during group navigation could lead to the accumulation of knowledge at the population level, resulting in the emergence of migratory culture. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Collective movement ecology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Berdahl
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA .,School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Albert B Kao
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrea Flack
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Peter A H Westley
- Department of Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Edward A Codling
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany.,Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anthony I Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Alton, IL 62024, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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29
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Klemme I, Karvonen A. Experience and dominance in fish pairs jointly shape parasite avoidance behaviour. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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30
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Ioannou CC, Madirolas G, Brammer FS, Rapley HA, de Polavieja GG. Adolescents show collective intelligence which can be driven by a geometric mean rule of thumb. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204462. [PMID: 30248154 PMCID: PMC6152954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How effective groups are in making decisions is a long-standing question in studying human and animal behaviour. Despite the limited social and cognitive abilities of younger people, skills which are often required for collective intelligence, studies of group performance have been limited to adults. Using a simple task of estimating the number of sweets in jars, we show in two experiments that adolescents at least as young as 11 years old improve their estimation accuracy after a period of group discussion, demonstrating collective intelligence. Although this effect was robust to the overall distribution of initial estimates, when the task generated positively skewed estimates, the geometric mean of initial estimates gave the best fit to the data compared to other tested aggregation rules. A geometric mean heuristic in consensus decision making is also likely to apply to adults, as it provides a robust and well-performing rule for aggregating different opinions. The geometric mean rule is likely to be based on an intuitive logarithmic-like number representation, and our study suggests that this mental number scaling may be beneficial in collective decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos C. Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Gabriel Madirolas
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Faith S. Brammer
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah A. Rapley
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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31
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Abstract
Throughout the animal kingdom, animals frequently benefit from living in groups. Models of collective behaviour show that simple local interactions are sufficient to generate group morphologies found in nature (swarms, flocks and mills). However, individuals also interact with the complex noisy environment in which they live. In this work, we experimentally investigate the group performance in navigating a noisy light gradient of two unrelated freshwater species: golden shiners (Notemigonuscrysoleucas) and rummy nose tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri). We find that tetras outperform shiners due to their innate individual ability to sense the environmental gradient. Using numerical simulations, we examine how group performance depends on the relative weight of social and environmental information. Our results highlight the importance of balancing of social and environmental information to promote optimal group morphologies and performance.
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32
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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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33
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Mothersill C, Smith R, Wang J, Rusin A, Fernandez-Palomo C, Fazzari J, Seymour C. Biological Entanglement-Like Effect After Communication of Fish Prior to X-Ray Exposure. Dose Response 2018; 16:1559325817750067. [PMID: 29479295 PMCID: PMC5818098 DOI: 10.1177/1559325817750067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon by which irradiated organisms including cells in vitro communicate with unirradiated neighbors is well established in biology as the radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE). Generally, the purpose of this communication is thought to be protective and adaptive, reflecting a highly conserved evolutionary mechanism enabling rapid adjustment to stressors in the environment. Stressors known to induce the effect were recently shown to include chemicals and even pathological agents. The mechanism is unknown but our group has evidence that physical signals such as biophotons acting on cellular photoreceptors may be implicated. This raises the question of whether quantum biological processes may occur as have been demonstrated in plant photosynthesis. To test this hypothesis, we decided to see whether any form of entanglement was operational in the system. Fish from 2 completely separate locations were allowed to meet for 2 hours either before or after which fish from 1 location only (group A fish) were irradiated. The results confirm RIBE signal production in both skin and gill of fish, meeting both before and after irradiation of group A fish. The proteomic analysis revealed that direct irradiation resulted in pro-tumorigenic proteomic responses in rainbow trout. However, communication from these irradiated fish, both before and after they had been exposed to a 0.5 Gy X-ray dose, resulted in largely beneficial proteomic responses in completely nonirradiated trout. The results suggest that some form of anticipation of a stressor may occur leading to a preconditioning effect or temporally displaced awareness after the fish become entangled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiaxi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry Facility, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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34
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Herbert-Read JE, Kremer L, Bruintjes R, Radford AN, Ioannou CC. Anthropogenic noise pollution from pile-driving disrupts the structure and dynamics of fish shoals. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171627. [PMID: 28954915 PMCID: PMC5627215 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise produced from a variety of human activities can affect the physiology and behaviour of individual animals, but whether noise disrupts the social behaviour of animals is largely unknown. Animal groups such as flocks of birds or shoals of fish use simple interaction rules to coordinate their movements with near neighbours. In turn, this coordination allows individuals to gain the benefits of group living such as reduced predation risk and social information exchange. Noise could change how individuals interact in groups if noise is perceived as a threat, or if it masked, distracted or stressed individuals, and this could have impacts on the benefits of grouping. Here, we recorded trajectories of individual juvenile seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in groups under controlled laboratory conditions. Groups were exposed to playbacks of either ambient background sound recorded in their natural habitat, or playbacks of pile-driving, commonly used in marine construction. The pile-driving playback affected the structure and dynamics of the fish shoals significantly more than the ambient-sound playback. Compared to the ambient-sound playback, groups experiencing the pile-driving playback became less cohesive, less directionally ordered, and were less correlated in speed and directional changes. In effect, the additional-noise treatment disrupted the abilities of individuals to coordinate their movements with one another. Our work highlights the potential for noise pollution from pile-driving to disrupt the collective dynamics of fish shoals, which could have implications for the functional benefits of a group's collective behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise Kremer
- Department of Agronomy, Agroequipments, Farming and Environment, AgroSup Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Rick Bruintjes
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Andrew N Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Wang C, Chen X, Xie G, Cao M. Emergence of leadership in a robotic fish group under diverging individual personality traits. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:161015. [PMID: 28572993 PMCID: PMC5451794 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Variations of individual's personality traits have been identified before as one of the possible mechanisms for the emergence of leadership in an interactive collective, which may lead to benefits for the group as a whole. Complementing the large number of existing literatures on using simulation models to study leadership, we use biomimetic robotic fish to gain insight into how the fish's behaviours evolve under the influence of the physical hydrodynamics. In particular, we focus in this paper on understanding how robotic fish's personality traits affect the emergence of an effective leading fish in repeated robotic foraging tasks when the robotic fish's strategies, to push or not to push the obstacle in its foraging path, are updated over time following an evolutionary game set-up. We further show that the robotic fish's personality traits diverge when the group carries out difficult foraging tasks in our experiments, and self-organization takes place to help the group to adapt to the level of difficulties of the tasks without inter-individual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Turbulence and Complex Systems, Center for Systems and Control, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojie Chen
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731 Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangming Xie
- The State Key Laboratory of Turbulence and Complex Systems, Center for Systems and Control, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Ocean Research, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Cao
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Webster MM, Whalen A, Laland KN. Fish pool their experience to solve problems collectively. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:135. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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