1
|
Dalmaijer ES. Cumulative route improvements spontaneously emerge in artificial navigators even in the absence of sophisticated communication or thought. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002644. [PMID: 38843108 PMCID: PMC11156315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Homing pigeons (Columba livia) navigate by solar and magnetic compass, and fly home in idiosyncratic but stable routes when repeatedly released from the same location. However, when experienced pigeons fly alongside naive counterparts, their path is altered. Over several generations of turnover (pairs in which the most experienced individual is replaced with a naive one), pigeons show cumulative improvements in efficiency. Here, I show that such cumulative route improvements can occur in a much simpler system by using agent-based simulation. Artificial agents are in silico entities that navigate with a minimal cognitive architecture of goal-direction (they know roughly where the goal is), social proximity (they seek proximity to others and align headings), route memory (they recall landmarks with increasing precision), and continuity (they avoid erratic turns). Agents' behaviour qualitatively matched that of pigeons, and quantitatively fitted to pigeon data. My results indicate that naive agents benefitted from being paired with experienced agents by following their previously established route. Importantly, experienced agents also benefitted from being paired with naive agents due to regression to the goal: naive agents were more likely to err towards the goal from the perspective of experienced agents' memorised paths. This subtly biased pairs in the goal direction, resulting in intergenerational improvements of route efficiency. No cumulative improvements were evident in control studies in which agents' goal-direction, social proximity, or memory were lesioned. These 3 factors are thus necessary and sufficient for cumulative route improvements to emerge, even in the absence of sophisticated communication or thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edwin S. Dalmaijer
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
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'.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Butterworth NJ, Benbow ME, Barton PS. The ephemeral resource patch concept. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 98:697-726. [PMID: 36517934 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ephemeral resource patches (ERPs) - short lived resources including dung, carrion, temporary pools, rotting vegetation, decaying wood, and fungi - are found throughout every ecosystem. Their short-lived dynamics greatly enhance ecosystem heterogeneity and have shaped the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of organisms - from bacteria to insects and amphibians. Despite this, there has been no attempt to distinguish ERPs clearly from other resource types, to identify their shared spatiotemporal characteristics, or to articulate their broad ecological and evolutionary influences on biotic communities. Here, we define ERPs as any distinct consumable resources which (i) are homogeneous (genetically, chemically, or structurally) relative to the surrounding matrix, (ii) host a discrete multitrophic community consisting of species that cannot replicate solely in any of the surrounding matrix, and (iii) cannot maintain a balance between depletion and renewal, which in turn, prevents multiple generations of consumers/users or reaching a community equilibrium. We outline the wide range of ERPs that fit these criteria, propose 12 spatiotemporal characteristics along which ERPs can vary, and synthesise a large body of literature that relates ERP dynamics to ecological and evolutionary theory. We draw this knowledge together and present a new unifying conceptual framework that incorporates how ERPs have shaped the adaptive trajectories of organisms, the structure of ecosystems, and how they can be integrated into biodiversity management and conservation. Future research should focus on how inter- and intra-resource variation occurs in nature - with a particular focus on resource × environment × genotype interactions. This will likely reveal novel adaptive strategies, aid the development of new eco-evolutionary theory, and greatly improve our understanding of the form and function of organisms and ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Butterworth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Wellington Road Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney 15 Broadway Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia
| | - M. Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology, Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program Michigan State University 220 Trowbridge Rd East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Philip S. Barton
- Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University University Drive, Mount Helen VIC 3350 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Healy SD, Patton BW. It Began in Ponds and Rivers: Charting the Beginnings of the Ecology of Fish Cognition. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:823143. [PMID: 35187149 PMCID: PMC8850302 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.823143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
But fish cognitive ecology did not begin in rivers and streams. Rather, one of the starting points for work on fish cognitive ecology was work done on the use of visual cues by homing pigeons. Prior to working with fish, Victoria Braithwaite helped to establish that homing pigeons rely not just on magnetic and olfactory cues but also on visual cues for successful return to their home loft. Simple, elegant experiments on homing established Victoria's ability to develop experimental manipulations to examine the role of visual cues in navigation by fish in familiar areas. This work formed the basis of a rich seam of work whereby a fish's ecology was used to propose hypotheses and predictions as to preferred cue use, and then cognitive abilities in a variety of fish species, from model systems (Atlantic salmon and sticklebacks) to the Panamanian Brachyraphis episcopi. Cognitive ecology in fish led to substantial work on fish pain and welfare, but was never left behind, with some of Victoria's last work addressed to determining the neural instantiation of cognitive variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan D. Healy
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Susan D. Healy
| | - B. Wren Patton
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University, State College, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Papadopoulou M, Hildenbrandt H, Sankey DWE, Portugal SJ, Hemelrijk CK. Emergence of splits and collective turns in pigeon flocks under predation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211898. [PMID: 35223068 PMCID: PMC8864349 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Complex patterns of collective behaviour may emerge through self-organization, from local interactions among individuals in a group. To understand what behavioural rules underlie these patterns, computational models are often necessary. These rules have not yet been systematically studied for bird flocks under predation. Here, we study airborne flocks of homing pigeons attacked by a robotic falcon, combining empirical data with a species-specific computational model of collective escape. By analysing GPS trajectories of flocking individuals, we identify two new patterns of collective escape: early splits and collective turns, occurring even at large distances from the predator. To examine their formation, we extend an agent-based model of pigeons with a 'discrete' escape manoeuvre by a single initiator, namely a sudden turn interrupting the continuous coordinated motion of the group. Both splits and collective turns emerge from this rule. Their relative frequency depends on the angular velocity and position of the initiator in the flock: sharp turns by individuals at the periphery lead to more splits than collective turns. We confirm this association in the empirical data. Our study highlights the importance of discrete and uncoordinated manoeuvres in the collective escape of bird flocks and advocates the systematic study of their patterns across species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Papadopoulou
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hanno Hildenbrandt
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Charlotte K. Hemelrijk
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Valentini G, Pavlic TP, Walker SI, Pratt SC, Biro D, Sasaki T. Naïve individuals promote collective exploration in homing pigeons. eLife 2021; 10:e68653. [PMID: 34928230 PMCID: PMC8687659 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Group-living animals that rely on stable foraging or migratory routes can develop behavioural traditions to pass route information down to inexperienced individuals. Striking a balance between exploitation of social information and exploration for better alternatives is essential to prevent the spread of maladaptive traditions. We investigated this balance during cumulative route development in the homing pigeon Columba livia. We quantified information transfer within pairs of birds in a transmission-chain experiment and determined how birds with different levels of experience contributed to the exploration-exploitation trade-off. Newly introduced naïve individuals were initially more likely to initiate exploration than experienced birds, but the pair soon settled into a pattern of alternating leadership with both birds contributing equally. Experimental pairs showed an oscillating pattern of exploration over generations that might facilitate the discovery of more efficient routes. Our results introduce a new perspective on the roles of leadership and information pooling in the context of collective learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Valentini
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, United States
| | - Theodore P Pavlic
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, School of Sustainability, Athens, United States
- Arizona State University, School of Complex Adaptive Systems, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, ASU-SFI Center for Biosocial Complex Systems, Tempe, United States
| | - Sara Imari Walker
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, United States
- Arizona State University, School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Tempe, United States
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, United States
| | - Stephen C Pratt
- Arizona State University, Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Tempe, United States
| | - Dora Biro
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Oxford, United States
- University of Rochester, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Rochester, United States
| | - Takao Sasaki
- University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, Athens, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
|
9
|
Kashetsky T, Avgar T, Dukas R. The Cognitive Ecology of Animal Movement: Evidence From Birds and Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.724887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition, defined as the processes concerned with the acquisition, retention and use of information, underlies animals’ abilities to navigate their local surroundings, embark on long-distance seasonal migrations, and socially learn information relevant to movement. Hence, in order to fully understand and predict animal movement, researchers must know the cognitive mechanisms that generate such movement. Work on a few model systems indicates that most animals possess excellent spatial learning and memory abilities, meaning that they can acquire and later recall information about distances and directions among relevant objects. Similarly, field work on several species has revealed some of the mechanisms that enable them to navigate over distances of up to several thousand kilometers. Key behaviors related to movement such as the choice of nest location, home range location and migration route are often affected by parents and other conspecifics. In some species, such social influence leads to the formation of aggregations, which in turn may lead to further social learning about food locations or other resources. Throughout the review, we note a variety of topics at the interface of cognition and movement that invite further investigation. These include the use of social information embedded in trails, the likely important roles of soundscapes and smellscapes, the mechanisms that large mammals rely on for long-distance migration, and the effects of expertise acquired over extended periods.
Collapse
|
10
|
Beardsworth CE, Whiteside MA, Capstick LA, Laker PR, Langley EJG, Nathan R, Orchan Y, Toledo S, van Horik JO, Madden JR. Spatial cognitive ability is associated with transitory movement speed but not straightness during the early stages of exploration. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201758. [PMID: 33959338 PMCID: PMC8074888 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Memories about the spatial environment, such as the locations of foraging patches, are expected to affect how individuals move around the landscape. However, individuals differ in the ability to remember spatial locations (spatial cognitive ability) and evidence is growing that these inter-individual differences influence a range of fitness proxies. Yet empirical evaluations directly linking inter-individual variation in spatial cognitive ability and the development and structure of movement paths are lacking. We assessed the performance of young pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) on a spatial cognition task before releasing them into a novel, rural landscape and tracking their movements. We quantified changes in the straightness and speed of their transitory paths over one month. Birds with better performances on the task initially made slower transitory paths than poor performers but by the end of the month, there was no difference in speed. In general, birds increased the straightness of their path over time, indicating improved efficiency independent of speed, but this was not related to performance on the cognitive task. We suggest that initial slow movements may facilitate more detailed information gathering by better performers and indicates a potential link between an individual's spatial cognitive ability and their movement behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark A. Whiteside
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Lucy A. Capstick
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Philippa R. Laker
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Ellis J. G. Langley
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Yotam Orchan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Sivan Toledo
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 67798, Israel
| | - Jayden O. van Horik
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Joah R. Madden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [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’.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pruitt JN, Berdahl A, Riehl C, Pinter-Wollman N, Moeller HV, Pringle EG, Aplin LM, Robinson EJH, Grilli J, Yeh P, Savage VM, Price MH, Garland J, Gilby IC, Crofoot MC, Doering GN, Hobson EA. Social tipping points in animal societies. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181282. [PMID: 30232162 PMCID: PMC6170811 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal social groups are complex systems that are likely to exhibit tipping points-which are defined as drastic shifts in the dynamics of systems that arise from small changes in environmental conditions-yet this concept has not been carefully applied to these systems. Here, we summarize the concepts behind tipping points and describe instances in which they are likely to occur in animal societies. We also offer ways in which the study of social tipping points can open up new lines of inquiry in behavioural ecology and generate novel questions, methods, and approaches in animal behaviour and other fields, including community and ecosystem ecology. While some behaviours of living systems are hard to predict, we argue that probing tipping points across animal societies and across tiers of biological organization-populations, communities, ecosystems-may help to reveal principles that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Andrew Berdahl
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Holly V Moeller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Lucy M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, Radolfzell, 78315, Germany
| | - Elva J H Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Pamela Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Van M Savage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | | | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Grant N Doering
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Väli Ü, Mirski P, Sellis U, Dagys M, Maciorowski G. Genetic determination of migration strategies in large soaring birds: evidence from hybrid eagles. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0855. [PMID: 30111595 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative contributions of genetic and social factors in shaping the living world are a crucial question in ecology. The annual migration of birds to their wintering grounds and back provides significant knowledge in this field of research. Migratory movements are predominantly genetically determined in passerine birds, while in large soaring birds, it is presumed that social (cultural) factors play the largest role. In this study, we show that genetic factors in soaring birds are more important than previously assumed. We used global positioning system (GPS)-telemetry to compare the autumn journeys and wintering ranges of two closely related large raptorial bird species, the greater spotted eagle Clanga clanga and the lesser spotted eagle Clanga pomarina, and hybrids between them. The timing of migration in hybrids was similar to that of one parental species, but the wintering distributions and home range sizes were similar to those of the other. Tracking data were supported by habitat suitability modelling, based on GPS fixes and ring recoveries. These results suggest a strong genetic influence on migration strategy via a trait-dependent dominance effect, although we cannot rule out the contribution of social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ülo Väli
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Studies, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014 Tartu, Estonia .,Eagle Club, 63406 Valgjärve vald, Hauka, Estonia
| | - Paweł Mirski
- Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1 J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Urmas Sellis
- Eagle Club, 63406 Valgjärve vald, Hauka, Estonia
| | - Mindaugas Dagys
- Laboratory of Avian Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania
| | - Grzegorz Maciorowski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, Poznań 60-625, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Portugal SJ, Ricketts RL, Chappell J, White CR, Shepard EL, Biro D. Boldness traits, not dominance, predict exploratory flight range and homing behaviour in homing pigeons. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0234. [PMID: 28673912 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living has been proposed to yield benefits that enhance fitness above the level that would be achieved through living as solitary individuals. Dominance hierarchies occur commonly in these social assemblages, and result, by definition, in resources not being evenly distributed between group members. Determinants of rank within a dominance hierarchy can be associated with morphological characteristics, previous experience of the individual, or personality traits such as exploration tendencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether greater exploration and positive responses to novel objects in homing pigeons (Columba livia) measured under laboratory conditions were associated with (i) greater initial exploration of the local area around the home loft during spontaneous exploration flights (SEF), (ii) faster and more efficient homing flights when released from further afield, and (iii) whether the traits of greater exploration and more positive responses to novel objects were more likely to be exhibited by the more dominant individuals within the group. There was no relationship between laboratory-based novel object exploration and position within the dominance hierarchy. Pigeons that were neophobic under laboratory conditions did not explore the local area during SEF opportunities. When released from sites further from home, neophobic pigeons took longer routes to home compared to those birds that had not exhibited neophobic traits under laboratory conditions, and had spontaneously explored to a greater extent. The lack of exploration in the neophobic birds is likely to have resulted in the increased costs of homing following release: unfamiliarity with the landscape likely led to the greater distances travelled and less efficient routes taken. Birds that demonstrated a lack of neophobia were not the dominant individuals inside the loft, and thus would have less access to resources such as food and potentially mates. However, a lack of neophobia makes the subordinate position possible, because subordinate birds that incur high travel costs would become calorie restricted and lose condition. Our results address emerging questions linking individual variation in behaviour with energetics and fitness consequences.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Rhianna L Ricketts
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Jackie Chappell
- Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, UK
| | - Craig R White
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Emily L Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
McAroe CL, Craig CM, Holland RA. Shoaling promotes place over response learning but does not facilitate individual learning of that strategy in zebrafish (Danio rerio). BMC ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-017-0019-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
|
16
|
Cumulative culture can emerge from collective intelligence in animal groups. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15049. [PMID: 28416804 PMCID: PMC5399285 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of collective intelligence in animal groups typically overlook potential improvement through learning. Although knowledge accumulation is recognized as a major advantage of group living within the framework of Cumulative Cultural Evolution (CCE), the interplay between CCE and collective intelligence has remained unexplored. Here, we use homing pigeons to investigate whether the repeated removal and replacement of individuals in experimental groups (a key method in testing for CCE) alters the groups' solution efficiency over successive generations. Homing performance improves continuously over generations, and later-generation groups eventually outperform both solo individuals and fixed-membership groups. Homing routes are more similar in consecutive generations within the same chains than between chains, indicating cross-generational knowledge transfer. Our findings thus show that collective intelligence in animal groups can accumulate progressive modifications over time. Furthermore, our results satisfy the main criteria for CCE and suggest potential mechanisms for CCE that do not rely on complex cognition.
Collapse
|
17
|
The Influence of Social Parameters on the Homing Behavior of Pigeons. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166572. [PMID: 27846262 PMCID: PMC5112789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Homing pigeons develop preferred routes when released alone several times from the same site, but they sometimes diverge from their preferred route when subsequently released with another pigeon. Additionally, group flights show a better homing performance than solo flights. But this knowledge is based on studies involving both sexes and lacks analyses of social parameters such as mating or breeding status, even though it is known that such parameters have an influence on behavior and on motivation for specific behavioral patterns. GPS trackers were used to track 24 homing pigeons (9 breeding pairs and 6 unmated females) as they performed a familiar 10km route in various pair and group combinations. Comparisons of efficiency indices (quotient between straight-line distance and pigeon’s track) reveal that unmated females show the best efficiency in single flights. Generally, group flights show the best efficiency followed by pair flights with a social partner of the opposite sex. Pair flights with the mated partner exhibit the poorest performance. Additionally, just before squabs hatching, females show a higher efficiency index when released at 8 am, compared to releases at 2 pm. Our results indicate that homing flight efficiency can provide insight into individual motivation and that social parameters have an influence on homing performance on a familiar route.
Collapse
|
18
|
Biro D, Sasaki T, Portugal SJ. Bringing a Time-Depth Perspective to Collective Animal Behaviour. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:550-562. [PMID: 27105543 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The field of collective animal behaviour examines how relatively simple, local interactions between individuals in groups combine to produce global-level outcomes. Existing mathematical models and empirical work have identified candidate mechanisms for numerous collective phenomena but have typically focused on one-off or short-term performance. We argue that feedback between collective performance and learning - giving the former the capacity to become an adaptive, and potentially cumulative, process - is a currently poorly explored but crucial mechanism in understanding collective systems. We synthesise material ranging from swarm intelligence in social insects through collective movements in vertebrates to collective decision making in animal and human groups, to propose avenues for future research to identify the potential for changes in these systems to accumulate over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Takao Sasaki
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven J Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Pettit B, Ákos Z, Vicsek T, Biro D. Speed Determines Leadership and Leadership Determines Learning during Pigeon Flocking. Curr Biol 2015; 25:3132-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
20
|
Nesterova AP, Flack A, van Loon EE, Bonadonna F, Biro D. The effect of experienced individuals on navigation by king penguin chick pairs. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
21
|
|
22
|
Santos CD, Neupert S, Lipp HP, Wikelski M, Dechmann DKN. Temporal and contextual consistency of leadership in homing pigeon flocks. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102771. [PMID: 25054203 PMCID: PMC4108361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Organized flight of homing pigeons (Columba livia) was previously shown to rely on simple leadership rules between flock mates, yet the stability of this social structuring over time and across different contexts remains unclear. We quantified the repeatability of leadership-based flock structures within a flight and across multiple flights conducted with the same animals. We compared two contexts of flock composition: flocks of birds of the same age and flight experience; and, flocks of birds of different ages and flight experience. All flocks displayed consistent leadership-based structures over time, showing that individuals have stable roles in the navigational decisions of the flock. However, flocks of balanced age and flight experience exhibited reduced leadership stability, indicating that these factors promote flock structuring. Our study empirically demonstrates that leadership and followership are consistent behaviours in homing pigeon flocks, but such consistency is affected by the heterogeneity of individual flight experiences and/or age. Similar evidence from other species suggests leadership as an important mechanism for coordinated motion in small groups of animals with strong social bonds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D. Santos
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany
- Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Campus do Bacanga, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Stefanie Neupert
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Kwazulu-Natal University, Durban, South Africa
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Flack A, Biro D. Collective learning in route navigation. Commun Integr Biol 2013; 6:e26521. [PMID: 24505504 PMCID: PMC3913685 DOI: 10.4161/cib.26521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent paper,1 we examined how experience of repeatedly flying with a specific partner influences pigeons’ subsequent navigational decision-making in larger flocks. We found that pairs develop into a “behavioral unit” through their shared experience of joint flights, acquiring a single idiosyncratic route during training, and then forming spatially distinct subgroups when flying with other pairs. Further, differences between the route preferences of different pairs appear to be reconciled through the same mechanisms as those that apply to individuals. Here we examine in more detail the development of route preferences in pairs, as an example of “collective learning.” We find that pairs acquire routes more quickly, but with less precision, than individuals. We use these results to hypothesize on the advantages and limitations of solving problems collectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Flack
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|