1
|
Peterson AN, Swanson N, McHenry MJ. Fish communicate with water flow to enhance a school's social network. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247507. [PMID: 39109661 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247507] [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: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Schooling fish rely on a social network created through signaling between its members to interact with their environment. Previous studies have established that vision is necessary for schooling and that flow sensing by the lateral line system may aid in a school's cohesion. However, it remains unclear to what extent flow provides a channel of communication between schooling fish. Based on kinematic measurements of the speed and heading of schooling tetras (Petitella rhodostoma), we found that compromising the lateral line by chemical treatment reduced the mutual information between individuals by ∼13%. This relatively small reduction in pairwise communication propagated through schools of varying size to reduce the degree and connectivity of the social network by more than half. Treated schools additionally showed more than twice the spatial heterogeneity of fish with unaltered flow sensing. These effects were much more substantial than the changes that we measured in the nearest-neighbor distance, speed and intermittency of individual fish by compromising flow sensing. Therefore, flow serves as a valuable supplement to visual communication in a manner that is revealed through a school's network properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Nathan Swanson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Matthew J McHenry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tan P, Miles CE. Intrinsic statistical separation of subpopulations in heterogeneous collective motion via dimensionality reduction. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:014403. [PMID: 38366514 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.014403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Collective motion of locally interacting agents is found ubiquitously throughout nature. The inability to probe individuals has driven longstanding interest in the development of methods for inferring the underlying interactions. In the context of heterogeneous collectives, where the population consists of individuals driven by different interactions, existing approaches require some knowledge about the heterogeneities or underlying interactions. Here, we investigate the feasibility of identifying the identities in a heterogeneous collective without such prior knowledge. We numerically explore the behavior of a heterogeneous Vicsek model and find sufficiently long trajectories intrinsically cluster in a principal component analysis-based dimensionally reduced model-agnostic description of the data. We identify how heterogeneities in each parameter in the model (interaction radius, noise, population proportions) dictate this clustering. Finally, we show the generality of this phenomenon by finding similar behavior in a heterogeneous D'Orsogna model. Altogether, our results establish and quantify the intrinsic model-agnostic statistical disentanglement of identities in heterogeneous collectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei Tan
- Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Maity S, Morin A. Spontaneous Demixing of Binary Colloidal Flocks. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:178304. [PMID: 37955477 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.178304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Population heterogeneity is ubiquitous among active living systems, but little is known about its role in determining their spatial organization and large-scale dynamics. Combining evidence from synthetic active fluids assembled from self-propelled colloidal particles along with theoretical predictions at the continuum scale, we demonstrate the spontaneous demixing of binary polar liquids within circular confinement. Our analysis reveals how both active speed heterogeneity and nonreciprocal repulsive interactions lead to self-sorting behavior. By establishing general principles for the self-organization of binary polar liquids, our findings highlight the specificity of multicomponent active systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samadarshi Maity
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Morin
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hansen MJ, Domenici P, Bartashevich P, Burns A, Krause J. Mechanisms of group-hunting in vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1687-1711. [PMID: 37199232 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12973] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Group-hunting is ubiquitous across animal taxa and has received considerable attention in the context of its functions. By contrast much less is known about the mechanisms by which grouping predators hunt their prey. This is primarily due to a lack of experimental manipulation alongside logistical difficulties quantifying the behaviour of multiple predators at high spatiotemporal resolution as they search, select, and capture wild prey. However, the use of new remote-sensing technologies and a broadening of the focal taxa beyond apex predators provides researchers with a great opportunity to discern accurately how multiple predators hunt together and not just whether doing so provides hunters with a per capita benefit. We incorporate many ideas from collective behaviour and locomotion throughout this review to make testable predictions for future researchers and pay particular attention to the role that computer simulation can play in a feedback loop with empirical data collection. Our review of the literature showed that the breadth of predator:prey size ratios among the taxa that can be considered to hunt as a group is very large (<100 to >102 ). We therefore synthesised the literature with respect to these predator:prey ratios and found that they promoted different hunting mechanisms. Additionally, these different hunting mechanisms are also related to particular stages of the hunt (search, selection, capture) and thus we structure our review in accordance with these two factors (stage of the hunt and predator:prey size ratio). We identify several novel group-hunting mechanisms which are largely untested, particularly under field conditions, and we also highlight a range of potential study organisms that are amenable to experimental testing of these mechanisms in connection with tracking technology. We believe that a combination of new hypotheses, study systems and methodological approaches should help push the field of group-hunting in new directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Hansen
- Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
| | - Paolo Domenici
- IBF-CNR, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Area di Ricerca San Cataldo, Via G. Moruzzi No. 1, Pisa, 56124, Italy
- IAS-CNR, Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, Oristano, 09170, Italy
| | - Palina Bartashevich
- Faculty of Life Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, Berlin, 10115, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Science of Intelligence," Technical University of Berlin, Marchstr. 23, Berlin, 10587, Germany
| | - Alicia Burns
- Faculty of Life Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, Berlin, 10115, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Science of Intelligence," Technical University of Berlin, Marchstr. 23, Berlin, 10587, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Faculty of Life Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, Berlin, 10115, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Science of Intelligence," Technical University of Berlin, Marchstr. 23, Berlin, 10587, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mudaliar RK, Schaerf TM. An examination of force maps targeted at orientation interactions in moving groups. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286810. [PMID: 37676869 PMCID: PMC10484433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Force mapping is an established method for inferring the underlying interaction rules thought to govern collective motion from trajectory data. Here we examine the ability of force maps to reconstruct interactions that govern individual's tendency to orient, or align, their heading within a moving group, one of the primary factors thought to drive collective motion, using data from three established general collective motion models. Specifically, our force maps extract how individuals adjust their direction of motion on average as a function of the distance to neighbours and relative alignment in heading with these neighbours, or in more detail as a function of the relative coordinates and relative headings of neighbours. We also examine the association between plots of local alignment and underlying alignment rules. We find that the simpler force maps that examined changes in heading as a function of neighbour distances and differences in heading can qualitatively reconstruct the form of orientation interactions, but also overestimate the spatial range over which these interactions apply. More complex force maps that examine heading changes as a function of the relative coordinates of neighbours (in two spatial dimensions), can also reveal underlying orientation interactions in some cases, but are relatively harder to interpret. Responses to neighbours in both the simpler and more complex force maps are affected by group-level patterns of motion. We also find a correlation between the sizes of regions of high alignment in local alignment plots and the size of the region over which alignment rules apply when only an alignment interaction rule is in action. However, when data derived from more complex models is analysed, the shapes of regions of high alignment are clearly influenced by emergent patterns of motion, and these regions of high alignment can appear even when there is no explicit direct mechanism that governs alignment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajnesh K. Mudaliar
- School of Mathematical and Computing Science, Fiji National University, Ba, Fiji
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy M. Schaerf
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Della Libera K, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Griffith SC, Leu ST. Fission-fusion dynamics in sheep: the influence of resource distribution and temporal activity patterns. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230402. [PMID: 37476510 PMCID: PMC10354475 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Fission-fusion events, i.e. changes to the size and composition of animal social groups, are a mechanism to adjust the social environment in response to short-term changes in the cost-benefit ratio of group living. Furthermore, the time and location of fission-fusion events provide insight into the underlying drivers of these dynamics. Here, we describe a method for identifying group membership over time and for extracting fission-fusion events from animal tracking data. We applied this method to high-resolution GPS data of free-ranging sheep (Ovis aries). Group size was highest during times when sheep typically rest (midday and at night), and when anti-predator benefits of grouping are high while costs of competition are low. Consistent with this, fission and fusion frequencies were highest during early morning and late evening, suggesting that social restructuring occurs during periods of high activity. However, fission and fusion events were not more frequent near food patches and water resources when adjusted for overall space use. This suggests a limited role of resource competition. Our results elucidate the dynamics of grouping in response to social and ecological drivers, and we provide a tool for investigating these dynamics in other species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Della Libera
- Department of Natural Sciences, Minerva University, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, IL 60637-5416, USA
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg Germany
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Saltz JB, Palmer MS, Beaudrot L. Identifying the social context of single- and mixed-species group formation in large African herbivores. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220105. [PMID: 37066657 PMCID: PMC10107273 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0105] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite continued interest in mixed-species groups, we still lack a unified understanding of how ecological and social processes work across scales to influence group formation. Recent work has revealed ecological correlates of mixed-species group formation, but the mechanisms by which concomitant social dynamics produce these patterns, if at all, is unknown. Here, we use camera trap data for six mammalian grazer species in Serengeti National Park. Building on previous work, we found that ecological variables, and especially forage quality, influenced the chances of species overlap over small spatio-temporal scales (i.e. on the scales of several metres and hours). Migratory species (gazelle, wildebeest and zebra) were more likely to have heterospecific partners available in sites with higher forage quality, but the opposite was true for resident species (buffalo, hartebeest and topi). These findings illuminate the circumstances under which mixed-species group formation is even possible. Next, we found that greater heterospecific availability was associated with an increased probability of mixed-species group formation in gazelle, hartebeest, wildebeest and zebra, but ecological variables did not further shape these patterns. Overall, our results are consistent with a model whereby ecological and social drivers of group formation are species-specific and operate on different spatio-temporal scales. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. B. Saltz
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - M. S. Palmer
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - L. Beaudrot
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lukas J, Krause J, Träger AS, Piotrowski JM, Romanczuk P, Sprekeler H, Arias-Rodriguez L, Krause S, Schutz C, Bierbach D. Multispecies collective waving behaviour in fish. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220069. [PMID: 36802783 PMCID: PMC9939262 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective behaviour is widely accepted to provide a variety of antipredator benefits. Acting collectively requires not only strong coordination among group members, but also the integration of among-individual phenotypic variation. Therefore, groups composed of more than one species offer a unique opportunity to look into the evolution of both mechanistic and functional aspects of collective behaviour. Here, we present data on mixed-species fish shoals that perform collective dives. These repeated dives produce water waves capable of delaying and/or reducing the success of piscivorous bird attacks. The large majority of the fish in these shoals consist of the sulphur molly, Poecilia sulphuraria, but we regularly also found a second species, the widemouth gambusia, Gambusia eurystoma, making these shoals mixed-species aggregations. In a set of laboratory experiments, we found that gambusia were much less inclined to dive after an attack as compared with mollies, which almost always dive, though mollies dived less deep when paired with gambusia that did not dive. By contrast, the behaviour of gambusia was not influenced by the presence of diving mollies. The dampening effect of less responsive gambusia on molly diving behaviour can have strong evolutionary consequences on the overall collective waving behaviour as we expect shoals with a high proportion of unresponsive gambusia to be less effective at producing repeated waves. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Lukas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arabella Sophie Träger
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Marc Piotrowski
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Henning Sprekeler
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Berlin Institute of Technology, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma Tabasco, 86150 Villahermosa, Mexico
| | - Stefan Krause
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lübeck University of Applied Sciences, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christopher Schutz
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Eguiraun H, Martinez I. Entropy and Fractal Techniques for Monitoring Fish Behaviour and Welfare in Aquacultural Precision Fish Farming-A Review. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:e25040559. [PMID: 37190348 PMCID: PMC10137457 DOI: 10.3390/e25040559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In a non-linear system, such as a biological system, the change of the output (e.g., behaviour) is not proportional to the change of the input (e.g., exposure to stressors). In addition, biological systems also change over time, i.e., they are dynamic. Non-linear dynamical analyses of biological systems have revealed hidden structures and patterns of behaviour that are not discernible by classical methods. Entropy analyses can quantify their degree of predictability and the directionality of individual interactions, while fractal dimension (FD) analyses can expose patterns of behaviour within apparently random ones. The incorporation of these techniques into the architecture of precision fish farming (PFF) and intelligent aquaculture (IA) is becoming increasingly necessary to understand and predict the evolution of the status of farmed fish. This review summarizes recent works on the application of entropy and FD techniques to selected individual and collective fish behaviours influenced by the number of fish, tagging, pain, preying/feed search, fear/anxiety (and its modulation) and positive emotional contagion (the social contagion of positive emotions). Furthermore, it presents an investigation of collective and individual interactions in shoals, an exposure of the dynamics of inter-individual relationships and hierarchies, and the identification of individuals in groups. While most of the works have been carried out using model species, we believe that they have clear applications in PFF. The review ends by describing some of the major challenges in the field, two of which are, unsurprisingly, the acquisition of high-quality, reliable raw data and the construction of large, reliable databases of non-linear behavioural data for different species and farming conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harkaitz Eguiraun
- Department of Graphic Design & Engineering Projects, Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48013 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
- Research Center for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology-Plentziako Itsas Estazioa (PiE-UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48620 Plentzia, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Iciar Martinez
- Research Center for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology-Plentziako Itsas Estazioa (PiE-UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48620 Plentzia, Bizkaia, Spain
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chatterjee S, Mangeat M, Woo CU, Rieger H, Noh JD. Flocking of two unfriendly species: The two-species Vicsek model. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:024607. [PMID: 36932579 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.024607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We consider the two-species Vicsek model (TSVM) consisting of two kinds of self-propelled particles, A and B, that tend to align with particles from the same species and to antialign with the other. The model shows a flocking transition that is reminiscent of the original Vicsek model: it has a liquid-gas phase transition and displays micro-phase-separation in the coexistence region where multiple dense liquid bands propagate in a gaseous background. The interesting features of the TSVM are the existence of two kinds of bands, one composed of mainly A particles and one mainly of B particles, the appearance of two dynamical states in the coexistence region: the PF (parallel flocking) state in which all bands of the two species propagate in the same direction, and the APF (antiparallel flocking) state in which the bands of species A and species B move in opposite directions. When PF and APF states exist in the low-density part of the coexistence region they perform stochastic transitions from one to the other. The system size dependence of the transition frequency and dwell times show a pronounced crossover that is determined by the ratio of the band width and the longitudinal system size. Our work paves the way for studying multispecies flocking models with heterogeneous alignment interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Swarnajit Chatterjee
- Center for Biophysics and Department of Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Matthieu Mangeat
- Center for Biophysics and Department of Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Chul-Ung Woo
- Department of Physics, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
| | - Heiko Rieger
- Center for Biophysics and Department of Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for New Materials INM, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jae Dong Noh
- Department of Physics, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mukherjee I, Bhat A. What drives mixed-species shoaling among wild zebrafish? The roles of predators, food access, abundance of conspecifics and familiarity. Biol Open 2023; 12:286221. [PMID: 36583380 PMCID: PMC9915908 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixed-species groups occur across a wide range of faunal communities and provide several benefits to members. While zebrafish have often been observed to form mixed-species shoals with coexisting species, the factors determining their occurrence are not yet fully understood. Shoals comprising zebrafish (Danio rerio), flying barbs (Esomus danricus), and whitespots (Aplocheilus panchax) were collected from a stagnant canal at Haringhata (West Bengal, India), and using laboratory-based experiments, we deciphered likely drivers of mixed-species shoaling among zebrafish. Experiments assessing foraging efficiency revealed that the amount of food consumed by individual zebrafish in mixed shoals was comparable to the amount consumed by these individuals in conspecific shoals. Within mixed-species shoals, zebrafish individuals, despite being smaller than the other species, consumed a comparable amount of food as the other species. Shoal choice experiments revealed that under predator risk, zebrafish associate more with mixed shoals and showed comparable associations to shoals differing in the abundance of conspecifics. Furthermore, zebrafish preferred associating with familiar conspecifics over unfamiliar mixed and unfamiliar conspecific shoals. Therefore, equitable food consumption in mixed shoals, greater association with mixed shoals in the presence of predators, and familiarity were important in driving zebrafish towards mixed-species shoaling. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
| | - Anuradha Bhat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India,Author for correspondence ()
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nabeel A, Masila DR. Disentangling intrinsic motion from neighborhood effects in heterogeneous collective motion. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2022; 32:063119. [PMID: 35778120 DOI: 10.1063/5.0093682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most real-world collectives, including animal groups, pedestrian crowds, active particles, and living cells, are heterogeneous. The differences among individuals in their intrinsic properties have emergent effects at the group level. It is often of interest to infer how the intrinsic properties differ among the individuals based on their observed movement patterns. However, the true individual properties may be masked by the nonlinear interactions in the collective. We investigate the inference problem in the context of a bidisperse collective with two types of agents, where the goal is to observe the motion of the collective and classify the agents according to their types. Since collective effects, such as jamming and clustering, affect individual motion, the information in an agent's own movement is insufficient for accurate classification. A simple observer algorithm, based only on individual velocities, cannot accurately estimate the level of heterogeneity of the system and often misclassifies agents. We propose a novel approach to the classification problem, where collective effects on an agent's motion are explicitly accounted for. We use insights about the phenomenology of collective motion to quantify the effect of the neighborhood on an agent's motion using a neighborhood parameter. Such an approach can distinguish between agents of two types, even when their observed motion is identical. This approach estimates the level of heterogeneity much more accurately and achieves significant improvements in classification. Our results demonstrate that explicitly accounting for neighborhood effects is often necessary to correctly infer intrinsic properties of individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arshed Nabeel
- Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Danny Raj Masila
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jadhav V, Guttal V, Masila DR. Randomness in the choice of neighbours promotes cohesion in mobile animal groups. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220124. [PMID: 35345437 PMCID: PMC8941415 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Classic computational models of collective motion suggest that simple local averaging rules can promote many observed group-level patterns. Recent studies, however, suggest that rules simpler than local averaging may be at play in real organisms; for example, fish stochastically align towards only one randomly chosen neighbour and yet the schools are highly polarized. Here, we ask-how do organisms maintain group cohesion? Using a spatially explicit model, inspired from empirical investigations, we show that group cohesion can be achieved in finite groups even when organisms randomly choose only one neighbour to interact with. Cohesion is maintained even in the absence of local averaging that requires interactions with many neighbours. Furthermore, we show that choosing a neighbour randomly is a better way to achieve cohesion than interacting with just its closest neighbour. To understand how cohesion emerges from these random pairwise interactions, we turn to a graph-theoretic analysis of the underlying dynamic interaction networks. We find that randomness in choosing a neighbour gives rise to well-connected networks that essentially cause the groups to stay cohesive. We compare our findings with the canonical averaging models (analogous to the Vicsek model). In summary, we argue that randomness in the choice of interacting neighbours plays a crucial role in achieving cohesion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Jadhav
- Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Vishwesha Guttal
- Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Danny Raj Masila
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Burns AL, Schaerf TM, Lizier J, Kawaguchi S, Cox M, King R, Krause J, Ward AJW. Self-organization and information transfer in Antarctic krill swarms. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212361. [PMID: 35193400 PMCID: PMC8864367 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Antarctic krill swarms are one of the largest known animal aggregations, and yet, despite being the keystone species of the Southern Ocean, little is known about how swarms are formed and maintained. Understanding the local interactions between individuals that provide the basis for these swarms is fundamental to knowing how swarms arise in nature, and what potential factors might lead to their breakdown. Here, we analysed the trajectories of captive, wild-caught krill in 3D to determine individual-level interaction rules and quantify patterns of information flow. Our results demonstrate that krill align with near neighbours and that they regulate both their direction and speed relative to the positions of groupmates. These results suggest that social factors are vital to the formation and maintenance of swarms. Furthermore, krill operate a novel form of collective organization, with measures of information flow and individual movement adjustments expressed most strongly in the vertical dimension, a finding not seen in other swarming species. This research represents a vital step in understanding the fundamentally important swarming behaviour of krill.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia L. Burns
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy M. Schaerf
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Joseph Lizier
- Faculty of Engineering and IT, Complex Systems Research Group, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - So Kawaguchi
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Martin Cox
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Rob King
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jens Krause
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin 12587, Germany,Faculty of Life Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Ashley J. W. Ward
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mitchell A, Booth DJ, Nagelkerken I. Ocean warming and acidification degrade shoaling performance and lateralization of novel tropical-temperate fish shoals. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1388-1401. [PMID: 34918444 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gregarious behaviours are common in animals and provide various benefits such as food acquisition and protection against predators. Many gregarious tropical species are shifting poleward under current ocean warming, creating novel species and social interactions with local temperate taxa. However, how the dynamics of these novel shoals might be altered by future ocean warming and acidification remains untested. Here we evaluate how novel species interactions, ocean acidification and warming affect shoaling dynamics, motor lateralization and boldness of range-extending tropical and co-shoaling temperate fishes under controlled laboratory conditions. Fishes were exposed to 1 of 12 treatments (combinations of three temperature levels, two pCO2 levels and two shoal type levels: mixed species or temperate only) for 38 days. Lateralization (a measure of asymmetric expression of cognitive function in group coordination and predator escape) of tropical and temperate species was right-side biased under present-day conditions, but side bias significantly diminished in tropical and temperate fishes under ocean acidification. Ocean acidification also decreased shoal cohesion irrespective of shoaling type, with mixed-species shoals showing significantly lower cohesion than temperate-only shoals irrespective of climate stressors. Tropical fish became bolder under ocean acidification (after 4 weeks), and temperate fish became bolder with increasing temperature, while ocean acidification dampened temperate fish boldness. Our findings highlight the direct effect of climate stressors on fish behaviour and the interplay with the indirect effects of novel species interactions. Because strong shoal cohesion and lateralization are key determinants of species fitness, their degradation under ocean warming and acidification could adversely affect species performance in novel assemblages in a future ocean, and might slow down tropical species range extensions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angus Mitchell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - David J Booth
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Georgopoulou DG, King AJ, Brown RM, Fürtbauer I. Emergence and repeatability of leadership and coordinated motion in fish shoals. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:47-54. [PMID: 35197806 PMCID: PMC8857939 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of self-organizing groups like schools of fish or flocks of birds have sought to uncover the behavioral rules individuals use (local-level interactions) to coordinate their motion (global-level patterns). However, empirical studies tend to focus on short-term or one-off observations where coordination has already been established or describe transitions between different coordinated states. As a result, we have a poor understanding of how behavioral rules develop and are maintained in groups. Here, we study the emergence and repeatability of coordinated motion in shoals of stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Shoals were introduced to a simple environment, where their spatio-temporal position was deduced via video analysis. Using directional correlation between fish velocities and wavelet analysis of fish positions, we demonstrate how shoals that are initially uncoordinated in their motion quickly transition to a coordinated state with defined individual leader-follower roles. The identities of leaders and followers were repeatable across two trials, and coordination was reached more quickly during the second trial and by groups of fish with higher activity levels (tested before trials). The rapid emergence of coordinated motion and repeatability of social roles in stickleback fish shoals may act to reduce uncertainty of social interactions in the wild, where individuals live in a system with high fission-fusion dynamics and non-random patterns of association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra G Georgopoulou
- College of Engineering, Swansea University, SA1 8EN Swansea, UK
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Rowan M Brown
- College of Engineering, Swansea University, SA1 8EN Swansea, UK
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Systematic Analysis of Emergent Collective Motion Produced by a 3D Hybrid Zonal Model. Bull Math Biol 2021; 84:16. [PMID: 34921628 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-021-00977-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Emergent patterns of collective motion are thought to arise from local rules of interaction that govern how individuals adjust their velocity in response to the relative locations and velocities of near neighbours. Many models of collective motion apply rules of interaction over a metric scale, based on the distances to neighbouring group members. However, empirical work suggests that some species apply interactions over a topological scale, based on distance determined neighbour rank. Here, we modify an important metric model of collective motion (Couzin et al. in J Theor Biol 218(1):1-11, 2002), so that interactions relating to orienting movements with neighbours and attraction towards more distant neighbours operate over topological scales. We examine the emergent group movement patterns generated by the model as the numbers of neighbours that contribute to orientation- and attraction-based velocity adjustments vary. Like the metric form of the model, simulated groups can fragment (when interactions are influenced by less than 10-15% of the group), swarm and move in parallel, but milling does not occur. The model also generates other cohesive group movements including cases where groups exhibit directed motion without strong overall alignment of individuals. Multiple emergent states are possible for the same set of underlying model parameters in some cases, suggesting sensitivity to initial conditions, and there is evidence that emergent states of the system depend on the history of the system. Groups that do not fragment tend to stay relatively compact in terms of neighbour distances. Even if a group does fragment, individuals remain relatively close to near neighbours, avoiding complete isolation.
Collapse
|
18
|
Mizumoto N, Lee SB, Valentini G, Chouvenc T, Pratt SC. Coordination of movement via complementary interactions of leaders and followers in termite mating pairs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210998. [PMID: 34255998 PMCID: PMC8277464 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In collective animal motion, coordination is often achieved by feedback between leaders and followers. For stable coordination, a leader's signals and a follower's responses are hypothesized to be attuned to each other. However, their roles are difficult to disentangle in species with highly coordinated movements, hiding potential diversity of behavioural mechanisms for collective behaviour. Here, we show that two Coptotermes termite species achieve a similar level of coordination via distinct sets of complementary leader-follower interactions. Even though C. gestroi females produce less pheromone than C. formosanus, tandem runs of both species were stable. Heterospecific pairs with C. gestroi males were also stable, but not those with C. formosanus males. We attributed this to the males' adaptation to the conspecific females; C. gestroi males have a unique capacity to follow females with small amounts of pheromone, while C. formosanus males reject C. gestroi females as unsuitable but are competitive over females with large amounts of pheromone. An information-theoretic analysis supported this conclusion by detecting information flow from female to male only in stable tandems. Our study highlights cryptic interspecific variation in movement coordination, a source of novelty for the evolution of social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa 940-0495, Japan
| | - Sang-Bin Lee
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
| | | | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
| | - Stephen C. Pratt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Schaerf TM, Herbert-Read JE, Ward AJW. A statistical method for identifying different rules of interaction between individuals in moving animal groups. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20200925. [PMID: 33784885 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergent patterns of collective motion are thought to arise from application of individual-level rules that govern how individuals adjust their velocity as a function of the relative position and behaviours of their neighbours. Empirical studies have sought to determine such rules of interaction applied by 'average' individuals by aggregating data from multiple individuals across multiple trajectory sets. In reality, some individuals within a group may interact differently from others, and such individual differences can have an effect on overall group movement. However, comparisons of rules of interaction used by individuals in different contexts have been largely qualitative. Here we introduce a set of randomization methods designed to determine statistical differences in the rules of interaction between individuals. We apply these methods to a case study of leaders and followers in pairs of freely exploring eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). We find that each of the randomization methods is reliable in terms of: repeatability of p-values, consistency in identification of significant differences and similarity between distributions of randomization-based test statistics. We observe convergence of the distributions of randomization-based test statistics across repeat calculations, and resolution of any ambiguities regarding significant differences as the number of randomization iterations increases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T M Schaerf
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
| | - J E Herbert-Read
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.,Aquatic Ecology, University of Lund, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - A J W Ward
- Animal Behaviour Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Keiller ML, Lopez LK, Paijmans KC, Wong MYL. Behavioural plasticity in a native species may be related to foraging resilience in the presence of an aggressive invader. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200877. [PMID: 33726559 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0877] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Competition between invasive and native species can result in the exploitation of resources by the invader, reducing foraging rates of natives. However, it is increasingly recognized that multiple factors can enhance the resilience of native species competing for limiting resources with invaders. Although extensively studied in terrestrial species, little research has focused on behavioural plasticity in aquatic ecosystems and how this influences native species resilience. Here, we examined the role of behavioural plasticity in interactions between a native Australian fish, Pseudomugil signifer, and a widespread invasive fish, Gambusia holbrooki. To determine whether P. signifer displays behavioural plasticity that may mitigate competition with G. holbrooki, we first quantified social behaviours (aggression, submission and affiliation) and shoal cohesion for each species in single- and mixed-species groups. Second, we compared the feeding rates of both species in these groups to ascertain if any modulation of social behaviours and cohesion related to foraging success. We found that aggressive and submissive behaviours of G. holbrooki and P. signifer showed plasticity in the presence of heterospecifics, but social affiliation, shoaling and, most importantly, foraging, remained inflexible. This variation in the degree of plasticity highlights the complexity of the behavioural response of a native species and suggests that both behavioural modulation and consistency may be related to sustaining foraging efficiency in the presence of an invader.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melinda L Keiller
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Laura K Lopez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kai C Paijmans
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Marian Y L Wong
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hansen M, Burns A, Monk C, Schutz C, Lizier J, Ramnarine I, Ward A, Krause J. The effect of predation risk on group behaviour and information flow during repeated collective decisions. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
22
|
Locomotion, interactions and information transfer vary according to context in a cryptic fish species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02930-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
23
|
Paijmans KC, Booth DJ, Wong MYL. Odd one in: Oddity within mixed‐species shoals does not affect shoal preference by vagrant tropical damselfish in the presence or absence of a predator. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kai C. Paijmans
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| | - David J. Booth
- Fish Ecology Lab University of Technology Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Marian Y. L. Wong
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Valentini G, Mizumoto N, Pratt SC, Pavlic TP, Walker SI. Revealing the structure of information flows discriminates similar animal social behaviors. eLife 2020; 9:e55395. [PMID: 32730203 PMCID: PMC7392607 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral correlations stretching over time are an essential but often neglected aspect of interactions among animals. These correlations pose a challenge to current behavioral-analysis methods that lack effective means to analyze complex series of interactions. Here we show that non-invasive information-theoretic tools can be used to reveal communication protocols that guide complex social interactions by measuring simultaneous flows of different types of information between subjects. We demonstrate this approach by showing that the tandem-running behavior of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and that of the termites Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus are governed by different communication protocols. Our discovery reconciles the diverse ultimate causes of tandem running across these two taxa with their apparently similar signaling mechanisms. We show that bidirectional flow of information is present only in ants and is consistent with the use of acknowledgement signals to regulate the flow of directional information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Valentini
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space ExplorationTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, School of Life SciencesTempeUnited States
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Arizona State University, School of Life SciencesTempeUnited States
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, Onna-sonOkinawaJapan
| | - Stephen C Pratt
- Arizona State University, School of Life SciencesTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, ASU–SFI Center for Biosocial Complex SystemsTempeUnited States
| | - Theodore P Pavlic
- Arizona State University, School of Life SciencesTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, ASU–SFI Center for Biosocial Complex SystemsTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in ScienceTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems EngineeringTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, School of SustainabilityTempeUnited States
| | - Sara I Walker
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space ExplorationTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, ASU–SFI Center for Biosocial Complex SystemsTempeUnited States
- Arizona State University, Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in ScienceTempeUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Webster MM, Laland KN. No evidence for individual recognition in threespine or ninespine sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus or Pungitius pungitius). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191703. [PMID: 32874600 PMCID: PMC7428269 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recognition plays an important role in the formation and organization of animal groups. Many animals are capable of class-level recognition, discriminating, for example, on the basis of species, kinship or familiarity. Individual recognition requires that animals recognize distinct cues, and learn to associate these with the specific individual from which they are derived. In this study, we asked whether sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pungitius pungitius) were capable of learning to recognize individual conspecifics. We have used these fish as model organisms for studying selective social learning, and demonstrating a capacity for individual recognition in these species would provide an exciting opportunity for studying how biases for copying specific individuals shape the dynamics of information transmission. To test for individual recognition, we trained subjects to associate green illumination with the provision of a food reward close to one of two conspecifics, and, for comparison, one of two physical landmarks. Both species were capable of recognizing the rewarded landmark, but neither showed a preference for associating with the rewarded conspecific. Our study provides no evidence for individual recognition in either species. We speculate that the fission-fusion structure of their social groups may not favour a capacity for individual recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mike M. Webster
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Twomey CR, Hartnett AT, Sosna MMG, Romanczuk P. Searching for structure in collective systems. Theory Biosci 2020; 140:361-377. [PMID: 32206979 PMCID: PMC8629805 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-020-00311-9] [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: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
From fish schools and bird flocks to biofilms and neural networks, collective systems in nature are made up of many mutually influencing individuals that interact locally to produce large-scale coordinated behavior. Although coordination is central to what it means to behave collectively, measures of large-scale coordination in these systems are ad hoc and system specific. The lack of a common quantitative scale makes broad cross-system comparisons difficult. Here we identify a system-independent measure of coordination based on an information-theoretic measure of multivariate dependence and show it can be used in practice to give a new view of even classic, well-studied collective systems. Moreover, we use this measure to derive a novel method for finding the most coordinated components within a system and demonstrate how this can be used in practice to reveal intrasystem organizational structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin R Twomey
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Matthew M G Sosna
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ward AJW, Kent MIA, Webster MM. Social Recognition and Social Attraction in Group-Living Fishes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
|
28
|
Ward AJW, Webster MM. Mid-sized groups perform best in a collective decision task in sticklebacks. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190335. [PMID: 31573425 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported functional improvements in collective behaviour with increasing group size, however, the possibility that such improvements may saturate or even decline as group size continues to grow have seldom been tested experimentally. Here, we tested the ability of solitary three-spined sticklebacks and those in groups, ranging from 2 to 29 fish, to leave an unfavourable patch of habitat. Our results replicate the findings of previous studies at low group sizes, with the fish initially showing a reduction in their latency to leave the unfavourable habitat as group size increased. As group size continued to increase, however, latency to leave the habitat increased, so that the functional relationship between group size and latency to depart was U-shaped. Our results suggest an optimum group size in this context of between 12 and 20 fish. Underlying this group-level trend was a similar U-shaped relationship between group size and the first fish to leave the habitat, suggesting that at larger group sizes, social conformity to the behaviour of the majority can stifle the ability of fish to innovate-in this case, to induce a collective movement from the unfavourable habitat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley J W Ward
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael M Webster
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wilson ADM, Burns ALJ, Crosato E, Lizier J, Prokopenko M, Schaerf TM, Ward AJW. Conformity in the collective: differences in hunger affect individual and group behavior in a shoaling fish. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal groups are often composed of individuals that vary according to behavioral, morphological, and internal state parameters. Understanding the importance of such individual-level heterogeneity to the establishment and maintenance of coherent group responses is of fundamental interest in collective behavior. We examined the influence of hunger on the individual and collective behavior of groups of shoaling fish, x-ray tetras (Pristella maxillaris). Fish were assigned to one of two nutritional states, satiated or hungry, and then allocated to 5 treatments that represented different ratios of satiated to hungry individuals (8 hungry, 8 satiated, 4:4 hungry:satiated, 2:6 hungry:satiated, 6:2 hungry:satiated). Our data show that groups with a greater proportion of hungry fish swam faster and exhibited greater nearest neighbor distances. Within groups, however, there was no difference in the swimming speeds of hungry versus well-fed fish, suggesting that group members conform and adapt their swimming speed according to the overall composition of the group. We also found significant differences in mean group transfer entropy, suggesting stronger patterns of information flow in groups comprising all, or a majority of, hungry individuals. In contrast, we did not observe differences in polarization, a measure of group alignment, within groups across treatments. Taken together these results demonstrate that the nutritional state of animals within social groups impacts both individual and group behavior, and that members of heterogenous groups can adapt their behavior to facilitate coherent collective motion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D M Wilson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Devon, UK
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alicia L J Burns
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emanuele Crosato
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joseph Lizier
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mikhail Prokopenko
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy M Schaerf
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Ashley J W Ward
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Webster MM, Chouinard-Thuly L, Herczeg G, Kitano J, Riley R, Rogers S, Shapiro MD, Shikano T, Laland KN. A four-questions perspective on public information use in sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181735. [PMID: 30891285 PMCID: PMC6408396 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Whether learning primarily reflects general processes or species-specific challenges is a long-standing matter of dispute. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of public information use (PI-use) in sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae). PI-use is a form of social learning by which animals are able to assess the relative quality of resources, here prey patches, by observing the behaviour of others. PI-use was highly specific with only Pungitius and their closest relative Culaea inconstans showing evidence of PI-use. We saw no effects of ontogenetic experience upon PI-use in Pungitius pungitius. Experiments with live demonstrators and animated fish revealed that heightened activity and feeding strikes by foraging conspecifics are important cues in the transmission of PI. Finally, PI-use was the only form of learning in which P. pungitius and another stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus differed. PI-use in sticklebacks is species-specific and may represent an 'ecological specialization' for social foraging. Whether this reflects selection on perception, attentional or cognitive processes remains to be determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mike M. Webster
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
| | - Laura Chouinard-Thuly
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Gabor Herczeg
- Ecological Genetics Research Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Jun Kitano
- Division of Ecological Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Riva Riley
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Sean Rogers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Calgary, Canada
| | - Michael D. Shapiro
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Takahito Shikano
- Ecological Genetics Research Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kevin N. Laland
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
| |
Collapse
|