1
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Papageorgiou D, Cherono W, Gall G, Nyaguthii B, Farine DR. Testing the information centre hypothesis in a multilevel society. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:1147-1159. [PMID: 38961615 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14131] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
In various animal species conspecifics aggregate at sleeping sites. Such aggregations can act as information centres where individuals acquire up-to-date knowledge about their environment. In some species, communal sleeping sites comprise individuals from multiple groups, where each group maintains stable membership over time. We used GPS tracking to simultaneously record group movement in a population of wild vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) to investigate whether communal sleeping sites can facilitate the transfer of information among individuals across distinct groups. These birds live in large and stable groups that move both together and apart, often forming communal roosts containing up to five groups. We first test whether roosts provide the opportunity for individuals to acquire information from members of other groups by examining the spatial organization at roosts. The GPS data reveal that groups intermix, thereby providing an opportunity for individuals to acquire out-group information. We next conduct a field experiment to test whether naïve groups can locate novel food patches when co-roosting with knowledgeable groups. We find that co-roosting substantially increases the chances for the members of a naïve group to discover a patch known to individuals from other groups at the shared roost. Further, we find that the discovery of food patches by naïve groups subsequently shapes their space use and inter-group associations. We also draw on our long-term tracking to provide examples that demonstrate natural cases where communal roosting has preceded large-scale multi-group collective movements that extend into areas beyond the groups' normal ranges. Our findings support the extension of the information centre hypothesis to communal sleeping sites that consist of distinct social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- College for Life Sciences, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gabriella Gall
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Brendah Nyaguthii
- Mpala Research Center, Nanyuki, Kenya
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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2
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Papageorgiou D, Nyaguthii B, Farine DR. Compromise or choose: shared movement decisions in wild vulturine guineafowl. Commun Biol 2024; 7:95. [PMID: 38218910 PMCID: PMC10787764 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05782-w] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Shared-decision making is beneficial for the maintenance of group-living. However, little is known about whether consensus decision-making follows similar processes across different species. Addressing this question requires robust quantification of how individuals move relative to each other. Here we use high-resolution GPS-tracking of two vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) groups to test the predictions from a classic theoretical model of collective motion. We show that, in both groups, all individuals can successfully initiate directional movements, although males are more likely to be followed than females. When multiple group members initiate simultaneously, follower decisions depend on directional agreement, with followers compromising directions if the difference between them is small or choosing the majority direction if the difference is large. By aligning with model predictions and replicating the findings of a previous field study on olive baboons (Papio anubis), our results suggest that a common process governs collective decision-making in moving animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, College for Life Sciences, Wallotstrasse 19, Berlin, 14193, Germany.
| | - Brendah Nyaguthii
- University of Eldoret, School of Natural Resource Management, Department of Wildlife, 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
- Mpala Research Centre, P.O. Box 92, Nanyuki, 10400, Kenya
- National Museums of Kenya, Department of Ornithology, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R Farine
- University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- National Museums of Kenya, Department of Ornithology, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Australian National University, Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia.
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3
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Russo NJ, Davies AB, Blakey RV, Ordway EM, Smith TB. Feedback loops between 3D vegetation structure and ecological functions of animals. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1597-1613. [PMID: 37419868 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14272] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems function in a series of feedback loops that can change or maintain vegetation structure. Vegetation structure influences the ecological niche space available to animals, shaping many aspects of behaviour and reproduction. In turn, animals perform ecological functions that shape vegetation structure. However, most studies concerning three-dimensional vegetation structure and animal ecology consider only a single direction of this relationship. Here, we review these separate lines of research and integrate them into a unified concept that describes a feedback mechanism. We also show how remote sensing and animal tracking technologies are now available at the global scale to describe feedback loops and their consequences for ecosystem functioning. An improved understanding of how animals interact with vegetation structure in feedback loops is needed to conserve ecosystems that face major disruptions in response to climate and land-use change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Russo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel V Blakey
- La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Elsa M Ordway
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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4
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Nagy M, Naik H, Kano F, Carlson NV, Koblitz JC, Wikelski M, Couzin ID. SMART-BARN: Scalable multimodal arena for real-time tracking behavior of animals in large numbers. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf8068. [PMID: 37656798 PMCID: PMC10854427 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf8068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
The SMART-BARN (scalable multimodal arena for real-time tracking behavior of animals in large numbers) achieves fast, robust acquisition of movement, behavior, communication, and interactions of animals in groups, within a large (14.7 meters by 6.6 meters by 3.8 meters), three-dimensional environment using multiple information channels. Behavior is measured from a wide range of taxa (insects, birds, mammals, etc.) and body size (from moths to humans) simultaneously. This system integrates multiple, concurrent measurement techniques including submillimeter precision and high-speed (300 hertz) motion capture, acoustic recording and localization, automated behavioral recognition (computer vision), and remote computer-controlled interactive units (e.g., automated feeders and animal-borne devices). The data streams are available in real time allowing highly controlled and behavior-dependent closed-loop experiments, while producing comprehensive datasets for offline analysis. The diverse capabilities of SMART-BARN are demonstrated through three challenging avian case studies, while highlighting its broad applicability to the fine-scale analysis of collective animal behavior across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Nagy
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- MTA-ELTE Lendület Collective Behavior Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Statistical and Biological Physics Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hemal Naik
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Ecology of Animal Societies, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Fumihiro Kano
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nora V. Carlson
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science/Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Jens C. Koblitz
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Iain D. Couzin
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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5
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Ogino M, Strauss ED, Farine DR. Challenges of mismatching timescales in longitudinal studies of collective behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220064. [PMID: 36802775 PMCID: PMC9939264 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
How individuals' prior experience and population evolutionary history shape emergent patterns in animal collectives remains a major gap in the study of collective behaviour. One reason for this is that the processes that can shape individual contributions to collective actions can happen over very different timescales from each other and from the collective actions themselves, resulting in mismatched timescales. For example, a preference to move towards a specific patch might arise from phenotype, memory or physiological state. Although providing critical context to collective actions, bridging different timescales remains conceptually and methodologically challenging. Here, we briefly outline some of these challenges, and discuss existing approaches that have already generated insights into the factors shaping individual contributions in animal collectives. We then explore a case study of mismatching timescales-defining relevant group membership-by combining fine-scaled GPS tracking data and daily field census data from a wild population of vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum). We show that applying different temporal definitions can produce different assignments of individuals into groups. These assignments can then have consequences when determining individuals' social history, and thus the conclusions we might draw on the impacts of the social environment on collective actions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ogino
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitatsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 104 Natural Science Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1115, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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6
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He P, Klarevas‐Irby JA, Papageorgiou D, Christensen C, Strauss ED, Farine DR. A guide to sampling design for
GPS
‐based studies of animal societies. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - James A. Klarevas‐Irby
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Christensen
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra Australia
- Department of Ornithology National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
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7
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Sandoval‐Seres E, Moyo W, Madhlamoto D, Madzikanda H, Blinston P, Kotze R, van der Meer E, Loveridge A. Long‐distance African wild dog dispersal within the
Kavango‐Zambezi
transfrontier conservation area. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Sandoval‐Seres
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology University of Oxford. Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Tubney House Tubney UK
- Painted Dog Conservation Dete Zimbabwe
| | | | - Daphine Madhlamoto
- Scientific Services Main Camp, Hwange National Park Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) Dete Zimbabwe
| | | | | | - Robynne Kotze
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology University of Oxford. Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Tubney House Tubney UK
| | | | - Andrew Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology University of Oxford. Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Tubney House Tubney UK
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8
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Physiology can predict animal activity, exploration, and dispersal. Commun Biol 2022; 5:109. [PMID: 35115649 PMCID: PMC8814174 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03055-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiology can underlie movement, including short-term activity, exploration of unfamiliar environments, and larger scale dispersal, and thereby influence species distributions in an environmentally sensitive manner. We conducted meta-analyses of the literature to establish, firstly, whether physiological traits underlie activity, exploration, and dispersal by individuals (88 studies), and secondly whether physiological characteristics differed between range core and edges of distributions (43 studies). We show that locomotor performance and metabolism influenced individual movement with varying levels of confidence. Range edges differed from cores in traits that may be associated with dispersal success, including metabolism, locomotor performance, corticosterone levels, and immunity, and differences increased with increasing time since separation. Physiological effects were particularly pronounced in birds and amphibians, but taxon-specific differences may reflect biased sampling in the literature, which also focussed primarily on North America, Europe, and Australia. Hence, physiology can influence movement, but undersampling and bias currently limits general conclusions. Physiological constraints can influence multiple aspects of an animal’s fitness for life and adaptation. Here, a meta-analytical approach demonstrates how physiology can influence animal dispersal ecology via limitations on the ability to move.
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9
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Camerlenghi E, McQueen A, Delhey K, Cook CN, Kingma SA, Farine DR, Peters A. Cooperative breeding and the emergence of multilevel societies in birds. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:766-777. [PMID: 35000255 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Multilevel societies (MLSs), where social levels are hierarchically nested within each other, are considered one of the most complex forms of animal societies. Although thought to mainly occurs in mammals, it is suggested that MLSs could be under-detected in birds. Here, we propose that the emergence of MLSs could be common in cooperatively breeding birds, as both systems are favoured by similar ecological and social drivers. We first investigate this proposition by systematically comparing evidence for multilevel social structure in cooperative and non-cooperative birds in Australia and New Zealand, a global hotspot for cooperative breeding. We then analyse non-breeding social networks of cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) to reveal their structured multilevel society, with three hierarchical social levels that are stable across years. Our results confirm recent predictions that MLSs are likely to be widespread in birds and suggest that these societies could be particularly common in cooperatively breeding birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Camerlenghi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carly N Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Department of Animal Sciences, Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Matshisela AU, Elliot N, Chinoitezvi E, Monks NJ, Loveridge A. Long‐distance African lion dispersal between two protected areas. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anele U. Matshisela
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Chizarira National Park Binga Zimbabwe
- Department of Animal Science and Rangeland Management Lupane State University Lupane Zimbabwe
| | - Nicholas Elliot
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Exeverino Chinoitezvi
- Scientific Services Chizarira National Park Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Binga Zimbabwe
| | - Norman J. Monks
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Chizarira National Park Binga Zimbabwe
| | - Andrew Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
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11
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Abstract
Dispersal is a critical process that shapes the structure of wild animal populations. In species that form multi‐level societies, natal dispersal might be social (associating with a different social community while remaining near the natal area), spatial (moving away from the natal area while continuing to associate with the same community) or both social and spatial (associating with a different community and moving away from the natal area). For such species, classical spatial measures of dispersal, such as distance moved, might not capture social dispersal. We examined dispersal outcomes for 67 male and 70 female giraffe calves over 7 years in a large, unfenced, ecologically heterogeneous landscape. We tested predictions about the influence of sex, food availability, low‐ and high‐impact human settlements, and local giraffe population density on social or spatial dispersal, dispersal distance, and age of dispersal. We found that dispersal is sex‐specific, with females being predominately philopatric. When dispersing, both sexes did so at a mean of 4 years of age. Most (69% of total) young males dispersed, with 84% of male dispersers associating with a different adult female social community than that of their mother, but one in four of these dispersers remained spatially near to their natal area. For adolescent males that dispersed socially but not spatially, overlapping female social communities may represent a potential pool of unrelated mating partners without the risks of travelling to unfamiliar areas. Just 26% of young females dispersed and half of these continued to associate with the adult female social community into which they were born, confirming the importance of maintaining ties among females from calf to adulthood. Furthermore, individuals born farther from high‐impact human settlements were more likely to spatially or socially‐and‐spatially disperse, move greater distances from their natal areas, and disperse at a younger age. Our study highlights the potential importance of social structure in dispersal decisions, and of tracking social structure when studying dispersal in multi‐level societies, as effective dispersal can be attained without large‐scale spatial displacements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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12
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Gupte PR, Beardsworth CE, Spiegel O, Lourie E, Toledo S, Nathan R, Bijleveld AI. A guide to pre-processing high-throughput animal tracking data. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:287-307. [PMID: 34657296 PMCID: PMC9299236 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Modern, high‐throughput animal tracking increasingly yields ‘big data’ at very fine temporal scales. At these scales, location error can exceed the animal's step size, leading to mis‐estimation of behaviours inferred from movement. ‘Cleaning’ the data to reduce location errors is one of the main ways to deal with position uncertainty. Although data cleaning is widely recommended, inclusive, uniform guidance on this crucial step, and on how to organise the cleaning of massive datasets, is relatively scarce. A pipeline for cleaning massive high‐throughput datasets must balance ease of use and computationally efficiency, in which location errors are rejected while preserving valid animal movements. Another useful feature of a pre‐processing pipeline is efficiently segmenting and clustering location data for statistical methods while also being scalable to large datasets and robust to imperfect sampling. Manual methods being prohibitively time‐consuming, and to boost reproducibility, pre‐processing pipelines must be automated. We provide guidance on building pipelines for pre‐processing high‐throughput animal tracking data to prepare it for subsequent analyses. We apply our proposed pipeline to simulated movement data with location errors, and also show how large volumes of cleaned data can be transformed into biologically meaningful ‘residence patches’, for exploratory inference on animal space use. We use tracking data from the Wadden Sea ATLAS system (WATLAS) to show how pre‐processing improves its quality, and to verify the usefulness of the residence patch method. Finally, with tracks from Egyptian fruit bats Rousettus aegyptiacus, we demonstrate the pre‐processing pipeline and residence patch method in a fully worked out example. To help with fast implementation of standardised methods, we developed the R package atlastools, which we also introduce here. Our pre‐processing pipeline and atlastools can be used with any high‐throughput animal movement data in which the high data‐volume combined with knowledge of the tracked individuals' movement capacity can be used to reduce location errors. atlastools is easy to use for beginners while providing a template for further development. The common use of simple yet robust pre‐processing steps promotes standardised methods in the field of movement ecology and leads to better inferences from data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Rajan Gupte
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Christine E Beardsworth
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Emmanuel Lourie
- Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sivan Toledo
- Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Minerva Center for Movement Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Allert I Bijleveld
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
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13
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Papageorgiou D, Rozen-Rechels D, Nyaguthii B, Farine DR. Seasonality impacts collective movements in a wild group-living bird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:38. [PMID: 34238382 PMCID: PMC8268463 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00271-9] [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: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A challenge faced by animals living in groups with stable long-term membership is to effectively coordinate their actions and maintain cohesion. However, as seasonal conditions alter the distribution of resources across a landscape, they can change the priority of group members and require groups to adapt and respond collectively across changing contexts. Little is known about how stable group-living animals collectively modify their movement behaviour in response to environment changes, such as those induced by seasonality. Further, it remains unclear how environment-induced changes in group-level movement behaviours might scale up to affect population-level properties, such as a population's footprint. METHODS Here we studied the collective movement of each distinct social group in a population of vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum), a largely terrestrial and non-territorial bird. We used high-resolution GPS tracking of group members over 22 months, combined with continuous time movement models, to capture how and where groups moved under varying conditions, driven by seasonality and drought. RESULTS Groups used larger areas, travelled longer distances, and moved to new places more often during drier seasons, causing a three-fold increase in the area used at the population level when conditions turned to drought. By contrast, groups used smaller areas with more regular movements during wetter seasons. CONCLUSIONS The consistent changes in collective outcomes we observed in response to different environments raise questions about the role of collective behaviour in facilitating, or impeding, the capacity for individuals to respond to novel environmental conditions. As droughts will be occurring more often under climate change, some group living animals may have to respond to them by expressing dramatic shifts in their regular movement patterns. These shifts can have consequences on their ranging behaviours that can scale up to alter the footprints of animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Rozen-Rechels
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brendah Nyaguthii
- School of Natural Resource Management, Department of Wildlife, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, 1125-30100 Kenya
- Mpala Research Center, P.O. Box 92, Nanyuki, 10400 Kenya
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
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