1
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Liao CC, Magrath RD, Manser MB, Farine DR. The relative contribution of acoustic signals versus movement cues in group coordination and collective decision-making. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230184. [PMID: 38768199 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
To benefit from group living, individuals need to maintain cohesion and coordinate their activities. Effective communication thus becomes critical, facilitating rapid coordination of behaviours and reducing consensus costs when group members have differing needs and information. In many bird and mammal species, collective decisions rely on acoustic signals in some contexts but on movement cues in others. Yet, to date, there is no clear conceptual framework that predicts when decisions should evolve to be based on acoustic signals versus movement cues. Here, we first review how acoustic signals and movement cues are used for coordinating activities. We then outline how information masking, discrimination ability (Weber's Law) and encoding limitations, as well as trade-offs between these, can identify which types of collective behaviours likely rely on acoustic signals or movement cues. Specifically, our framework proposes that behaviours involving the timing of events or expression of specific actions should rely more on acoustic signals, whereas decisions involving complex choices with multiple options (e.g. direction and destination) should generally use movement cues because sounds are more vulnerable to information masking and Weber's Law effects. We then discuss potential future avenues of enquiry, including multimodal communication and collective decision-making by mixed-species animal groups. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamic'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chieh Liao
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Zürich , 8057, Switzerland
| | - Damien R Farine
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Zürich , 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Radolfzell , 78315, Germany
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2
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Gao J, Gu C, Long Y, Zhang X, Shen C, Yang H. Collective behaviors of animal groups may stem from visual lateralization-Tending to obtain information through one eye. Chaos 2024; 34:043147. [PMID: 38648384 DOI: 10.1063/5.0199200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Animal groups exhibit various captivating movement patterns, which manifest as intricate interactions among group members. Several models have been proposed to elucidate collective behaviors in animal groups. These models achieve a certain degree of efficacy; however, inconsistent experimental findings suggest insufficient accuracy. Experiments have shown that some organisms employ a single information channel and visual lateralization to glean knowledge from other individuals in collective movements. In this study, we consider individuals' visual lateralization and a single information channel and develop a self-propelled particle model to describe the collective behavior of large groups. The results suggest that homogeneous visual lateralization gives the group a strong sense of cohesiveness, thereby enabling diverse collective behaviors. As the overlapping field grows, the cohesiveness gradually dissipates. Inconsistent visual lateralization among group members can reduce the cohesiveness of the group, and when there is a high degree of heterogeneity in visual lateralization, the group loses their cohesiveness. This study also examines the influence of visual lateralization heterogeneity on specific formations, and the results indicate that the directional migration formation is responsive to such heterogeneity. We propose an information network to portray the transmission of information within groups, which explains the cohesiveness of groups and the sensitivity of the directional migration formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Gao
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, People's Republic of China
| | - Changgui Gu
- Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongshang Long
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiyun Zhang
- Department of Physics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuansheng Shen
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijie Yang
- Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
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3
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Gorbonos D, Oberhauser FB, Costello LL, Günzel Y, Couzin-Fuchs E, Koger B, Couzin ID. An effective hydrodynamic description of marching locusts. Phys Biol 2024; 21:026004. [PMID: 38266294 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ad2219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
A fundamental question in complex systems is how to relate interactions between individual components ('microscopic description') to the global properties of the system ('macroscopic description'). Furthermore, it is unclear whether such a macroscopic description exists and if such a description can capture large-scale properties. Here, we address the validity of a macroscopic description of a complex biological system using the collective motion of desert locusts as a canonical example. One of the world's most devastating insect plagues begins when flightless juvenile locusts form 'marching bands'. These bands display remarkable coordinated motion, moving through semiarid habitats in search of food. We investigated how well macroscopic physical models can describe the flow of locusts within a band. For this, we filmed locusts within marching bands during an outbreak in Kenya and automatically tracked all individuals passing through the camera frame. We first analyzed the spatial topology of nearest neighbors and found individuals to be isotropically distributed. Despite this apparent randomness, a local order was observed in regions of high density in the radial distribution function, akin to an ordered fluid. Furthermore, reconstructing individual locust trajectories revealed a highly aligned movement, consistent with the one-dimensional version of the Toner-Tu equations, a generalization of the Navier-Stokes equations for fluids, used to describe the equivalent macroscopic fluid properties of active particles. Using this effective Toner-Tu equation, which relates the gradient of the pressure to the acceleration, we show that the effective 'pressure' of locusts increases as a linear function of density in segments with the highest polarization (for which the one-dimensional approximation is most appropriate). Our study thus demonstrates an effective hydrodynamic description of flow dynamics in plague locust swarms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Gorbonos
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Felix B Oberhauser
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Luke L Costello
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yannick Günzel
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Einat Couzin-Fuchs
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Koger
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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4
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Weinburd J, Landsberg J, Kravtsova A, Lam S, Sharma T, Simpson SJ, Sword GA, Buhl C. Anisotropic interaction and motion states of locusts in a hopper band. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232121. [PMID: 38228175 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Swarming locusts present a quintessential example of animal collective motion. Juvenile locusts march and hop across the ground in coordinated groups called hopper bands. Composed of up to millions of insects, hopper bands exhibit aligned motion and various collective structures. These groups are well-documented in the field, but the individual insects themselves are typically studied in much smaller groups in laboratory experiments. We present, to our knowledge, the first trajectory data that detail the movement of individual locusts within a hopper band in a natural setting. Using automated video tracking, we derive our data from footage of four distinct hopper bands of the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera. We reconstruct nearly 200 000 individual trajectories composed of over 3.3 million locust positions. We classify these data into three motion states: stationary, walking and hopping. Distributions of relative neighbour positions reveal anisotropies that depend on motion state. Stationary locusts have high-density areas distributed around them apparently at random. Walking locusts have a low-density area in front of them. Hopping locusts have low-density areas in front and behind them. Our results suggest novel insect interactions, namely that locusts change their motion to avoid colliding with neighbours in front of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Weinburd
- Mathematics Department, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN 55104, USA
| | - Jacob Landsberg
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Anna Kravtsova
- Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Shanni Lam
- Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Tarush Sharma
- Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Gregory A Sword
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Camille Buhl
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Southern Australia 5005, Australia
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5
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Li D, Liu Y, Luo H, Jing G. Anisotropic Diffusion of Elongated Particles in Active Coherent Flows. Micromachines (Basel) 2024; 15:199. [PMID: 38398928 PMCID: PMC10893016 DOI: 10.3390/mi15020199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The study of particle diffusion, a classical conundrum in scientific inquiry, holds manifold implications for various real-world applications. Particularly within the domain of active flows, where the motion of self-propelled particles instigates fluid movement, extensive research has been dedicated to unraveling the dynamics of passive spherical particles. This scrutiny has unearthed intriguing phenomena, such as superdiffusion at brief temporal scales and conventional diffusion at longer intervals. In contrast to the spherical counterparts, anisotropic particles, which manifest directional variations, are prevalent in nature. Although anisotropic behavior in passive fluids has been subject to exploration, enigmatic aspects persist in comprehending the interplay of anisotropic particles within active flows. This research delves into the intricacies of anisotropic passive particle diffusion, exposing a notable escalation in translational and rotational diffusion coefficients, as well as the superdiffusion index, contingent upon bacterial concentration. Through a detailed examination of particle coordinates, the directional preference of particle diffusion is not solely dependent on the particle length, but rather determined by the ratio of the particle length to the associated length scale of the background flow field. These revelations accentuate the paramount importance of unraveling the nuances of anisotropic particle diffusion within the context of active flows. Such insights not only contribute to the fundamental understanding of particle dynamics, but also have potential implications for a spectrum of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yanan Liu
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
| | | | - Guangyin Jing
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
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6
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Tung A, Sperry MM, Clawson W, Pavuluri A, Bulatao S, Yue M, Flores RM, Pai VP, McMillen P, Kuchling F, Levin M. Embryos assist morphogenesis of others through calcium and ATP signaling mechanisms in collective teratogen resistance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:535. [PMID: 38233424 PMCID: PMC10794468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44522-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Information for organismal patterning can come from a variety of sources. We investigate the possibility that instructive influences for normal embryonic development are provided not only at the level of cells within the embryo, but also via interactions between embryos. To explore this, we challenge groups of embryos with disruptors of normal development while varying group size. Here, we show that Xenopus laevis embryos are much more sensitive to a diverse set of chemical and molecular-biological perturbations when allowed to develop alone or in small groups, than in large groups. Keeping per-embryo exposure constant, we find that increasing the number of exposed embryos in a cohort increases the rate of survival while incidence of defects decreases. This inter-embryo assistance effect is mediated by short-range diffusible signals and involves the P2 ATP receptor. Our data and computational model emphasize that morphogenesis is a collective phenomenon not only at the level of cells, but also of whole bodies, and that cohort size is a crucial variable in studies of ecotoxicology, teratogenesis, and developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tung
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Megan M Sperry
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wesley Clawson
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Ananya Pavuluri
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Sydney Bulatao
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michelle Yue
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ramses Martinez Flores
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Patrick McMillen
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Franz Kuchling
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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7
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Krongauz DL, Ayali A, Kaminka GA. Vision-based collective motion: A locust-inspired reductionist model. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011796. [PMID: 38285716 PMCID: PMC10852344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring collective motion is a fascinating phenomenon in which swarming individuals aggregate and coordinate their motion. Many theoretical models of swarming assume idealized, perfect perceptual capabilities, and ignore the underlying perception processes, particularly for agents relying on visual perception. Specifically, biological vision in many swarming animals, such as locusts, utilizes monocular non-stereoscopic vision, which prevents perfect acquisition of distances and velocities. Moreover, swarming peers can visually occlude each other, further introducing estimation errors. In this study, we explore necessary conditions for the emergence of ordered collective motion under restricted conditions, using non-stereoscopic, monocular vision. We present a model of vision-based collective motion for locust-like agents: elongated shape, omni-directional visual sensor parallel to the horizontal plane, and lacking stereoscopic depth perception. The model addresses (i) the non-stereoscopic estimation of distance and velocity, (ii) the presence of occlusions in the visual field. We consider and compare three strategies that an agent may use to interpret partially-occluded visual information at the cost of the computational complexity required for the visual perception processes. Computer-simulated experiments conducted in various geometrical environments (toroidal, corridor, and ring-shaped arenas) demonstrate that the models can result in an ordered or near-ordered state. At the same time, they differ in the rate at which order is achieved. Moreover, the results are sensitive to the elongation of the agents. Experiments in geometrically constrained environments reveal differences between the models and elucidate possible tradeoffs in using them to control swarming agents. These suggest avenues for further study in biology and robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Ayali
- School of Zoology and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Gal A. Kaminka
- Computer Science Department, Bar-Ilan Univeristy, Israel
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8
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Couzin ID, Couzin-Fuchs E. The chemical ecology of locust cannibalism. Science 2023; 380:454-455. [PMID: 37141343 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh5264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
An anticannibalistic signaling pathway offers a new understanding of locust swarm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain D Couzin
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Einat Couzin-Fuchs
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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9
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Abstract
Many animals engage in cannibalism to supplement their diets. Among dense populations of migratory locusts, cannibalism is prevalent. We show that under crowded conditions, locusts produce an anticannibalistic pheromone called phenylacetonitrile. Both the degree of cannibalism and the production of phenylacetonitrile are density dependent and covary. We identified the olfactory receptor that detects phenylacetonitrile and used genome editing to make this receptor nonfunctional, thereby abolishing the negative behavioral response. We also inactivated the gene underlying phenylacetonitrile production and show that locusts that lack this compound lose its protection and are more frequently exposed to intraspecific predation. Thus, we reveal an anticannibalistic feature built on a specifically produced odor. The system is very likely to be of major importance in locust population ecology, and our results might therefore provide opportunities in locust management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Sina Cassau
- Department of Animal Physiology, Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Department of Animal Physiology, Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Xiaojiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Markus Knaden
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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10
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Papadopoulou M, Fürtbauer I, O'Bryan LR, Garnier S, Georgopoulou DG, Bracken AM, Christensen C, King AJ. Dynamics of collective motion across time and species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220068. [PMID: 36802781 PMCID: PMC9939269 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Most studies of collective animal behaviour rely on short-term observations, and comparisons of collective behaviour across different species and contexts are rare. We therefore have a limited understanding of intra- and interspecific variation in collective behaviour over time, which is crucial if we are to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape collective behaviour. Here, we study the collective motion of four species: shoals of stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia), a herd of goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and a troop of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). First, we describe how local patterns (inter-neighbour distances and positions), and group patterns (group shape, speed and polarization) during collective motion differ across each system. Based on these, we place data from each species within a 'swarm space', affording comparisons and generating predictions about the collective motion across species and contexts. We encourage researchers to add their own data to update the 'swarm space' for future comparative work. Second, we investigate intraspecific variation in collective motion over time and provide guidance for researchers on when observations made over different time scales can result in confident inferences regarding species collective motion. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Papadopoulou
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Lisa R. O'Bryan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Simon Garnier
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Dimitra G. Georgopoulou
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology & Aquaculture, HCMR, 71500 Hersonissos, Crete, Greece
| | - Anna M. Bracken
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Charlotte Christensen
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew J. King
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
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11
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Si T, Wu Z, He W, He Q. Self-propelled predator-prey of swarming Janus micromotors. iScience 2023; 26:106112. [PMID: 36852269 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is a long-standing challenge to accomplish bionic microrobot that acts in a similar way of white blood cell, chasing bacteria in complex environment. Without an effective external control field, most swarming microrobots systems are usually unable to perform directional movement and redirect their motion to capture the target. Here we report the predatory-prey dynamics of self-propelled clusters of Janus micromotors. The active cluster generates an oxygen bubbles cloud around itself by decomposing H2O2, which levitated it above the substrate, enhancing its mobility in solution to wander around to devour other clusters. The fast decomposition of H2O2 also induced a tubular low-concentration zone that bridges two clusters far separated from each other, resulting in a diffusio-osmotic pressure that drives the two clusters to meet. This predatory-prey phenomena mimic white blood cells chasing bacteria and swarming flocks in nature, shedding light on emergent collective intelligence in biology.
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12
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Zink AG, Lyon BE. Natural selection: Fair weather cooperators. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1240-R1242. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Vernier C, Barthes N, Chapuis MP, Foucaud J, Huguenin J, Leménager N, Piou C. Faeces' odours attract gregarious locust hoppers. J Insect Physiol 2022; 143:104454. [PMID: 36343666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Collective motion is one of the most impressive common features of gregarious locusts: once formed, bands and swarms get moving for long distances. It was shown that visual perception of neighbours plays a key role in maintaining marching behaviour at a local scale. But at a larger scale, mechanisms underlying band cohesion are less understood. It was shown in several field studies that individuals separated from the band were able to get back to the group, even after being separated since a night. In this context, faeces' odours could be a possible indicator of the recent passage of a group. In this study, we tested if nymphs are attracted by faeces' odours and if this effect is modulated by the age of the faeces. To this end, we conducted individual olfactometric behavioural assays of 3rd instar hoppers of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, exposed to odours of 1 h-old and 24 h-old faeces. We also used Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify odours' volatile organic compounds from faeces. The results of behavioural assays indicated a strong attractive effect of faeces, with no preference for one of the two faecal age classes. Nymphs spent significantly more time in the side of the olfactometer where the faeces' odours came from, and 72.7% of tested individuals chose this side first. We filtered and annotated 11 volatile organic compounds present in both fresh and old faeces in GC-MS analyses, including guaiacol and phenol, which are known to cause an aggregative effect on desert locusts. As the attractive effect lasted over 24 h, band's faeces could still have an attractive effect when individuals are separated from the band since one day. In this situation, latecomers individuals would be able to get back to the group by following the traces of their predecessors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Vernier
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; CBGP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Nicolas Barthes
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, F-34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Pierre Chapuis
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; CBGP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Foucaud
- CBGP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France; INRAE, UMR CBGP, F-34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Joris Huguenin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, F-34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Leménager
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; CBGP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Cyril Piou
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; CBGP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
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14
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Williams L, Shultz S, Jensen K. The primate workplace: Cooperative decision-making in human and non-human primates. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.887187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of group foraging in primates is not only determined by ecological and social factors. It is also influenced by cognition. Group foraging success is constrained, for instance, by the challenges of coordination, synchrony and decision-making, and it is enhanced by the ability to share, learn from others and coordinate actions. However, what we currently know about the cognition of individuals in groups comes primarily from experiments on dyads, and what we know of the effect of ecological factors on group dynamics comes from larger wild groups. Our current knowledge of primate group behaviour is thus incomplete. In this review, we identify a gap in our knowledge of primate group dynamics between the dyadic studies on primate cooperation and the large group observational studies of behavioural ecology. We highlight the potential for controlled experimental studies on coordination and cooperation in primate groups. Currently, these exist primarily as studies of dyads, and these do not go far enough in testing limits of group-level behaviours. Controlled studies on primate groups beyond the dyad would be highly informative regarding the bounds of non-human primate collaboration. We look to the literature on how humans behave in groups, specifically from organisational psychology, draw parallels between human and non-human group dynamics and highlight approaches that could be applied across disciplines. Organisational psychology is explicitly concerned with the interactions between individuals in a group and the emergent properties at the group-level of these decisions. We propose that some of the major shortfalls in our understanding of primate social cognition and group dynamics can be filled by using approaches developed by organisational psychologists, particularly regarding the effects of group size and composition on group-level cooperation. To illustrate the potential applications, we provide a list of research questions drawn from organisational psychology that could be applied to non-human primates.
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15
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Cullen DA, Sword GA, Rosenthal GG, Simpson SJ, Dekempeneer E, Hertog MLATM, Nicolaï BM, Caes R, Mannaerts L, Vanden Broeck J. Sexual repurposing of juvenile aposematism in locusts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200759119. [PMID: 35969777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200759119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The same signal can convey different information across an animal’s lifetime. High-density desert locusts avoid predation as juveniles by exhibiting striking warning coloration, which honestly advertises their unpalatability relative to their camouflaged, low-density conspecifics. Here, we show that by reusing their youthful “don’t touch me” yellow color upon sexual maturation, high-density adult male locusts also advertise unprofitability, but in this case to fellow amorous males. This three-way (developmental stage, population density, sex) control of a single carotenoid-binding protein toward multiple adaptive outcomes makes it an exciting model system for unravelling the molecular evolution of an animal signal. Adaptive plasticity requires an integrated suite of functional responses to environmental variation, which can include social communication across life stages. Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) exhibit an extreme example of phenotypic plasticity called phase polyphenism, in which a suite of behavioral and morphological traits differ according to local population density. Male and female juveniles developing at low population densities exhibit green- or sand-colored background-matching camouflage, while at high densities they show contrasting yellow and black aposematic patterning that deters predators. The predominant background colors of these phenotypes (green/sand/yellow) all depend on expression of the carotenoid-binding “Yellow Protein” (YP). Gregarious (high-density) adults of both sexes are initially pinkish, before a YP-mediated yellowing reoccurs upon sexual maturation. Yellow color is especially prominent in gregarious males, but the reason for this difference has been unknown since phase polyphenism was first described in 1921. Here, we use RNA interference to show that gregarious male yellowing acts as an intrasexual warning signal, which forms a multimodal signal with the antiaphrodisiac pheromone phenylacetonitrile (PAN) to prevent mistaken sexual harassment from other males during scramble mating in a swarm. Socially mediated reexpression of YP thus adaptively repurposes a juvenile signal that deters predators into an adult signal that deters undesirable mates. These findings reveal a previously underappreciated sexual dimension to locust phase polyphenism, and promote locusts as a model for investigating the relative contributions of natural versus sexual selection in the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.
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16
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Zhang Z, Wang H, Yang H, Song W, Dai L, Yu S, Liu X, Li T. Magnetic microswarm for MRI contrast enhancer. Chem Asian J 2022; 17:e202200561. [DOI: 10.1002/asia.202200561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanxiang Zhang
- Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System CHINA
| | - Haocheng Wang
- Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System CHINA
| | - Hua Yang
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital National Clinical Research Center for Obstetric & Gynecologic Diseases CHINA
| | - Wenping Song
- Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System CHINA
| | - Lizhou Dai
- Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System CHINA
| | - Shimin Yu
- Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System CHINA
| | - Xuejia Liu
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Department of Medical Imaging CHINA
| | - Tianlong Li
- Harbin Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering 92 West Dazhi StreetMainhouse Room 125 150001 Harbin CHINA
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17
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Amir M, Agmon N, Bruckstein AM. A Locust-Inspired Model of Collective Marching on Rings. Entropy 2022; 24:e24070918. [PMID: 35885140 PMCID: PMC9323757 DOI: 10.3390/e24070918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We study the collective motion of autonomous mobile agents in a ringlike environment. The agents’ dynamics are inspired by known laboratory experiments on the dynamics of locust swarms. In these experiments, locusts placed at arbitrary locations and initial orientations on a ring-shaped arena are observed to eventually all march in the same direction. In this work we ask whether, and how fast, a similar phenomenon occurs in a stochastic swarm of simple locust-inspired agents. The agents are randomly initiated as marching either clockwise or counterclockwise on a discretized, wide ring-shaped region, which we subdivide into k concentric tracks of length n. Collisions cause agents to change their direction of motion. To avoid this, agents may decide to switch tracks to merge with platoons of agents marching in their direction. We prove that such agents must eventually converge to a local consensus about their direction of motion, meaning that all agents on each narrow track must eventually march in the same direction. We give asymptotic bounds for the expected time it takes for such convergence or “stabilization” to occur, which depends on the number of agents, the length of the tracks, and the number of tracks. We show that when agents also have a small probability of “erratic”, random track-jumping behavior, a global consensus on the direction of motion across all tracks will eventually be reached. Finally, we verify our theoretical findings in numerical simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Amir
- Department of Computer Science, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel;
- Correspondence:
| | - Noa Agmon
- Department of Computer Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
| | - Alfred M. Bruckstein
- Department of Computer Science, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel;
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18
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Simpson SJ. A journey towards an integrated understanding of behavioural phase change in locusts. J Insect Physiol 2022; 138:104370. [PMID: 35176318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural phase change initiates and functionally couples the suite of traits that comprise density-dependent polyphenism in locusts. Here I provide a semi-expurgated account of my 25-year research journey studying behavioural phase transition in the desert locust. The journey spans continents, involves a cast of extraordinary colleagues, and travels across levels of biological organisation from deep within the nervous system of individual locusts to mass migration and the evolution and population dynamics of swarming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia
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19
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Abstract
Living things in nature have evolved with unique morphologies, structures, materials, behaviors, and functions to survive in complex natural environments. Nature has inspired the design ideas, preparation methods, and applications of versatile micro/nanomotors. This review summarizes diverse nature-inspired micro/nanomotors, which can be divided into five groups: (i) natural morphology-inspired micro/nanomotors, whose shapes are designed to imitate the morphologies of plants, animals, and objects in nature. (ii) Natural structure-inspired micro/nanomotors, which use structures from plants, red blood cells, and platelet cells as components of micro/nanomotors, or directly use sperm cells and microorganisms as the engines of micro/nanomotors. (iii) Natural behavior-inspired micro/nanomotors, which are proposed to mimic natural behaviors such as motion behavior, swarm behavior, and communication behavior between individuals. (iv) Micro/nanomotors inspired by both natural morphology and behavior. Nature makes it possible for synthetic micro/nanomotors to possess interesting morphologies, novel preparation methods, new propulsion modes, innovative functions, and broad applications. The nature-inspired micro/nanomotors could provide a promising platform for various practical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, China
| | - Yiwen Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
| | - Bin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Dekai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
| | - Longqiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
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20
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Piou C, Zagaglia G, Medina HE, Trumper E, Rojo Brizuela X, Maeno KO. Band movement and thermoregulation in Schistocerca cancellata. J Insect Physiol 2022; 136:104328. [PMID: 34826390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
At high density, juvenile locusts create marching hopper bands. Understanding the roles of temperature and vegetation on the movement of these bands shall allow to better forecast and control them. Following a hopper band in North Argentina in November 2019, we explored the thermoregulation behaviours of the South American locust, Schistocerca cancellata. Gut-content samples informed about the feeding status at different time of the day. Hoppers' body temperature was above cold air temperature in the mornings during basking and group-basking activities and before the onset of marching behaviour. Marching by walking or hopping was dominant at body temperatures close to 40 °C. Jumping, stilting, shading and perching on plants were seen as thermoregulatory behaviours to avoid ground temperatures above 50 °C. Feeding was observed throughout the day with continuous high gut contents despite an intermittent pattern of feeding-resting-marching. Speed and daily travelled distance of the front of the hopper band was depending on the type of encountered vegetation. Daily behavioural patterns, thermoregulatory behaviours, walking speed and daily travelled distances of S. cancellata were similar to the ones observed for the Desert locust, S. gregaria, in Africa. High air temperatures recorded during the observation times could explain the continuous feeding patterns. These species may have evolved behaviours of alternating consuming a bit and marching as a migration strategy to avoid staying where no food is available after the havoc left behind large hopper bands. Recommendations made for the control of Desert locust hopper bands can be extended to South American locust ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Piou
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, Montpellier, France; CBGP, CIRAD, INRA, IRD, SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Gustavo Zagaglia
- SENASA, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Argentina
| | - Hector E Medina
- SENASA, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Argentina
| | | | - Ximena Rojo Brizuela
- Ministerio de Desarrollo Económico y Producción de la Provincia Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Koutaro Ould Maeno
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Livestock and Environment Division, Ohwashi 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan
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21
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Qi J, Bai L, Xiao Y, Wei Y, Wu W. The emergence of collective obstacle avoidance based on a visual perception mechanism. Inf Sci (N Y) 2022; 582:850-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2021.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aubrey M. Kelly
- Department of Psychology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USA
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23
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Kikuchi DW, Herberstein ME, Barfield M, Holt RD, Mappes J. Why aren't warning signals everywhere? On the prevalence of aposematism and mimicry in communities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2446-2460. [PMID: 34128583 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community - from Nordic meadows to tropical rainforests, defended prey species and their mimics ward off potential predators before they attack. Yet despite the wide distribution of warning signals, they are relatively scarce as a proportion of the total prey available, and more so in some biomes than others. Classically, warning signals are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, i.e. they succeed better when they are more common. Therefore, after surmounting this initial barrier to their evolution, it is puzzling that they remain uncommon on the scale of the community. Here, we explore factors likely to determine the prevalence of warning signals in prey assemblages. These factors include the nature of prey defences and any constraints upon them, the behavioural interactions of predators with different prey defences, the numerical responses of predators governed by movement and reproduction, the diversity and abundance of undefended alternative prey and Batesian mimics in the community, and variability in other ecological circumstances. We also discuss the macroevolution of warning signals. Our review finds that we have a basic understanding of how many species in some taxonomic groups have warning signals, but very little information on the interrelationships among population abundances across prey communities, the diversity of signal phenotypes, and prey defences. We also have detailed knowledge of how a few generalist predator species forage in artificial laboratory environments, but we know much less about how predators forage in complex natural communities with variable prey defences. We describe how empirical work to address each of these knowledge gaps can test specific hypotheses for why warning signals exhibit their particular patterns of distribution. This will help us to understand how behavioural interactions shape ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Konsequez 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Michael Barfield
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Robert D Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
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24
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Knebel D, Sha-ked C, Agmon N, Ariel G, Ayali A. Collective motion as a distinct behavioral state of the individual. iScience 2021; 24:102299. [PMID: 33855280 PMCID: PMC8024921 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The collective motion of swarms depends on adaptations at the individual level. We explored these and their effects on swarm formation and maintenance in locusts. The walking kinematics of individual insects were monitored under laboratory settings, before, as well as during collective motion in a group, and again after separation from the group. It was found that taking part in collective motion induced in the individual unique behavioral kinematics, suggesting the existence of a distinct behavioral mode that we term a "collective-motion-state." This state, characterized by behavioral adaptation to the social context, is long lasting, not induced by crowding per se, but only by experiencing collective motion. Utilizing computational models, we show that this adaptability increases the robustness of the swarm. Overall, our findings suggest that collective motion is not only an emergent property of the group but also depends on a behavioral mode, rooted in endogenous mechanisms of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Knebel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Department of Computer Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Ciona Sha-ked
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Noa Agmon
- Department of Computer Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Gil Ariel
- Department of Mathematics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Amir Ayali
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
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25
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Hongjamrassilp W, Maiphrom W, Blumstein DT. Why do shrimps leave the water? Mechanisms and functions of parading behaviour in freshwater shrimps. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- W. Hongjamrassilp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
| | - W. Maiphrom
- Ubon Ratchathani Wildlife and Nature Education Center Nam Yuen Ubon Ratchathani Thailand
| | - D. T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
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26
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Abstract
Collective migration, the movement of groups in which individuals affect the behaviour of one another, occurs at practically every scale, from bacteria up to whole species' populations. Universal principles of collective movement can be applied at all levels. In this review, we will describe the rules governing collective motility, with a specific focus on the neural crest, an embryonic stem cell population that undergoes extensive collective migration during development. We will discuss how the underlying principles of individual cell behaviour, and those that emerge from a supracellular scale, can explain collective migration. This article is part of the theme issue 'Multi-scale analysis and modelling of collective migration in biological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Shellard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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27
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Bernoff AJ, Culshaw-Maurer M, Everett RA, Hohn ME, Strickland WC, Weinburd J. Agent-based and continuous models of hopper bands for the Australian plague locust: How resource consumption mediates pulse formation and geometry. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007820. [PMID: 32365072 PMCID: PMC7224576 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Locusts are significant agricultural pests. Under favorable environmental conditions flightless juveniles may aggregate into coherent, aligned swarms referred to as hopper bands. These bands are often observed as a propagating wave having a dense front with rapidly decreasing density in the wake. A tantalizing and common observation is that these fronts slow and steepen in the presence of green vegetation. This suggests the collective motion of the band is mediated by resource consumption. Our goal is to model and quantify this effect. We focus on the Australian plague locust, for which excellent field and experimental data is available. Exploiting the alignment of locusts in hopper bands, we concentrate solely on the density variation perpendicular to the front. We develop two models in tandem; an agent-based model that tracks the position of individuals and a partial differential equation model that describes locust density. In both these models, locust are either stationary (and feeding) or moving. Resources decrease with feeding. The rate at which locusts transition between moving and stationary (and vice versa) is enhanced (diminished) by resource abundance. This effect proves essential to the formation, shape, and speed of locust hopper bands in our models. From the biological literature we estimate ranges for the ten input parameters of our models. Sobol sensitivity analysis yields insight into how the band's collective characteristics vary with changes in the input parameters. By examining 4.4 million parameter combinations, we identify biologically consistent parameters that reproduce field observations. We thus demonstrate that resource-dependent behavior can explain the density distribution observed in locust hopper bands. This work suggests that feeding behaviors should be an intrinsic part of future modeling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Bernoff
- Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, United States of America
| | - Michael Culshaw-Maurer
- Departments of Entomology and Nematology/Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Rebecca A. Everett
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maryann E. Hohn
- Mathematics Department, Pomona College, Claremont, California, United States of America
| | - W. Christopher Strickland
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jasper Weinburd
- Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Abstract
Classical models of collective behavior often take a "bird's-eye perspective," assuming that individuals have access to social information that is not directly available (e.g., the behavior of individuals outside of their field of view). Despite the explanatory success of those models, it is now thought that a better understanding needs to incorporate the perception of the individual, i.e., how internal and external information are acquired and processed. In particular, vision has appeared to be a central feature to gather external information and influence the collective organization of the group. Here, we show that a vision-based model of collective behavior is sufficient to generate organized collective behavior in the absence of spatial representation and collision. Our work suggests a different approach for the development of purely vision-based autonomous swarm robotic systems and formulates a mathematical framework for exploration of perception-based interactions and how they differ from physical ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaud Bastien
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Jiang L, Cheng Y, Gao S, Zhong Y, Ma C, Wang T, Zhu Y. Emergence of social cluster by collective pairwise encounters in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:51921. [PMID: 31959283 PMCID: PMC6989122 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals exhibit an astonishing ability to form groups of large numbers of individuals. The dynamic properties of such groups have been the subject of intensive investigation. The actual grouping processes and underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain elusive. Here, we established a social clustering paradigm in Drosophila to investigate the principles governing social group formation. Fruit flies spontaneously assembled into a stable cluster mimicking a distributed network. Social clustering was exhibited as a highly dynamic process including all individuals, which participated in stochastic pair-wise encounters mediated by appendage touches. Depriving sensory inputs resulted in abnormal encounter responses and a high failure rate of cluster formation. Furthermore, the social distance of the emergent network was regulated by ppk-specific neurons, which were activated by contact-dependent social grouping. Taken together, these findings revealed the development of an orderly social structure from initially unorganised individuals via collective actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifen Jiang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yincheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengrui Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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30
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Abstract
The Semaphorin ligands and their Plexin receptors are known to induce cell-cell repulsion. A new study now finds that protrusion collapse, induced by Semaphorin-5C-Plexin-A interactions at the cell-cell contact, promotes planar polarization and collective migration of follicular cells in Drosophila.
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31
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Abstract
Movement of individuals, mediated by localised interactions, plays a key role in numerous processes including cell biology and ecology. In this work, we investigate an individual-based model accounting for various intraspecies and interspecies interactions in a community consisting of two distinct species. In this framework we consider one species to be chasers and the other species to be escapees, and we focus on chase-escape dynamics where the chasers are biased to move towards the escapees, and the escapees are biased to move away from the chasers. This framework allows us to explore how individual-level directional interactions scale up to influence spatial structure at the macroscale. To focus exclusively on the role of motility and directional bias in determining spatial structure, we consider conservative communities where the number of individuals in each species remains constant. To provide additional information about the individual-based model, we also present a mathematically tractable deterministic approximation based on describing the evolution of the spatial moments. We explore how different features of interactions including interaction strength, spatial extent of interaction, and relative density of species influence the formation of the macroscale spatial patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anudeep Surendran
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael J Plank
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Te Pūnaha Matatini, A New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Matthew J Simpson
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
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32
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Abstract
Migratory movement is a strategy employed by a broad range of taxa as a response to temporally and spatially varying environmental conditions. Multiple factors can drive animal migration, including movement to hospitable environments when local conditions become unfavourable (such as to reduce nutritional and thermoregulatory stress), movement to find mates and/or breeding sites, and movement to minimise competition, predation, infection or parasitism. Migrating animals can often be seen to move together (Figure 1), sometimes in vast numbers. Despite this, the social aspects of migration have, to date, received very limited attention. Synchronisation of migratory behaviour among organisms, itself, does not imply that migrants utilise social information: synchrony is inevitable if there are relatively short windows of opportunity in which to move, or there exist sudden environmental changes that must be responded to. However, as will be outlined here, there is there is growing evidence that many migratory animals do utilise social cues, and that collective factors could shape migration in a variety of important ways.
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33
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Matsumura T, Taya H, Matsumoto H, Hayakawa Y. Repeated phenotypic selection for cuticular blackness of armyworm larvae decreased stress resistance. J Insect Physiol 2019; 117:103889. [PMID: 31136741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Armyworm Mythimna separata larvae show changes in cuticle darkening depending on population densities and are roughly categorized into two phenotypes, a pale brown solitary type and black-colored gregarious type. Although the color difference in both larval types is apparent, it remains ambiguous whether any change in physiological traits accompanies the cuticle darkening. To answer this query, we repeated genetic selection of the blackness phenotype over one hundred generations in our laboratory colony and produced a black-colored (BL) strain. Comparison between non-selected control (CTL) and BL strains revealed an increased fecundity and adult life span in the BL strain compared with the CTL strain. In contrast, BL strain larvae were found to be significantly more sensitive to heat stress than those in the CTL strain. Hemolymph reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were higher in the BL strain than in the CTL strain under both non-stress and heat stress conditions. Antioxidant activities of the hemolymph were not significantly different between the two strains under non-stress condition, but the activities increased to higher levels in the CTL strain than those in the BL strain after heat stress. Activities and gene expression levels of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the fat body were significantly higher in CTL strain larvae than in BL strain larvae after heat treatment. Thermal stress tolerance of the offspring of crossings between the two strains showed a tolerance level almost equivalent to the maternal one: the cross between CTL females and BL males produced offspring with the higher tolerance compared with the oppositely crossed offspring. Expression levels of the antioxidant enzyme genes of the former offspring were found to be similar to those of CTL strain. These results indicate a trade-off between reproductive activity and stress resistance: the BL strain had acquired high reproductivity but had lost stress tolerance through repeated genetic selection. Furthermore, the present genetic analyses demonstrated that the phenotype of stress tolerance is derived from the maternal parent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Matsumura
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Hikaru Taya
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Matsumoto
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Yoichi Hayakawa
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan; Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
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34
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Abstract
The selfish herd hypothesis explains how social prey can assemble cohesive groups for maximising individual fitness. However, previous models often abstracted away the physical manifestation of the focal animals such that the influence of getting stuck in a crowded herd on individual adaptation was less intensively investigated. Here, we propose an evolutionary model to simulate the adaptation of egoistic social prey to predation given that individual mobility is strictly restrained by the presence of other conspecifics. In our simulated evolutionary races, agents were set to either be confined by neighbours or move to empty cells on the lattice, and the behavioural traits of those less exposed were selected and inherited. Our analyses show that under this crowded environment, cohesive and steady herds were consistently replaced by morphing and moving aggregates via the attempt of border agents to share predation risk with the inner members. This kind of collective motion emerges purely from the competition among selfish individuals regardless of any group benefit. Our findings reveal that including the crowding effect with the selfish herd scenario permits additional diversity in the predicted outcomes and imply that a wider set of collective animal behaviours are explainable purely by individual-level selection.
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35
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Olsen D, Murphy DW. Random sequential addition simulations of animal aggregations provide null models of group structure. Bioinspir Biomim 2019; 14:035001. [PMID: 30818295 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab0b8b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Apparent structure in animal aggregations such as fish and Antarctic krill schools may result from the tight packing of these elongated animals. This geometrical structure may be difficult to differentiate from behavior-induced structure resulting from individuals preferentially taking up certain positions relative to conspecifics to gain an adaptive advantage such as reduced locomotive cost. Here we use random sequential addition (RSA) simulations to quantify the effect of animal shape, aggregation organization, and aggregation density on 2D school structure. This technique allows for the generation of a null model for nearest neighbor distance and nearest neighbor position angle for a specific body shape and aggregation density, thus isolating the effect of geometry from that of behavior. We further identify a shape-specific aggregation density threshold above which the animal shape affects the spatial distribution of nearest neighbors. Nearest neighbor distance data of fish schools with densities above and below the threshold are found to agree well with nearest neighbor statistics found from RSA-generated schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Olsen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
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36
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Robertson RM, Cease AJ, Simpson SJ. Anoxia tolerance of the adult Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes terminifera). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 229:81-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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37
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Abstract
Groups of organisms such as flocks, swarms, herds, and schools form for a variety of motivations linked to survival and proliferation. Their size, locomotive domain, population, and the environmental stimuli guiding motion make challenging the study of member interactions and global behaviors. In this review, we borrow principles and analogies from fluids to describe the characteristics of organismal aggregations, which may inspire new tools for the analysis of collective motion. Examples of fluid resemblance include open channel flow, droplet formation, and particle-laden flow. We show how the properties of density, viscosity, and surface tension have strong parallels in the structure and behavior of aggregations of contrasting scale and domain. In certain cases, aggregations are sufficiently fluid-like that values can be assigned to such properties. We highlight how organisms engaging in collective motion can flow, roll, and change phase. Finally, we present limitations and exceptions for the application of fluidic principles to the motion of living groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Smith
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida, United States of America
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38
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Berdahl AM, Kao AB, Flack A, Westley PAH, Codling EA, Couzin ID, Dell AI, Biro D. Collective animal navigation and migratory culture: from theoretical models to empirical evidence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0009. [PMID: 29581394 PMCID: PMC5882979 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals often travel in groups, and their navigational decisions can be influenced by social interactions. Both theory and empirical observations suggest that such collective navigation can result in individuals improving their ability to find their way and could be one of the key benefits of sociality for these species. Here, we provide an overview of the potential mechanisms underlying collective navigation, review the known, and supposed, empirical evidence for such behaviour and highlight interesting directions for future research. We further explore how both social and collective learning during group navigation could lead to the accumulation of knowledge at the population level, resulting in the emergence of migratory culture. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Collective movement ecology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Berdahl
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA .,School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Albert B Kao
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrea Flack
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Peter A H Westley
- Department of Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Edward A Codling
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany.,Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anthony I Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Alton, IL 62024, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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39
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Abstract
Locusts and grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) are among the most dangerous agricultural pests. Their control is critical to food security worldwide and often requires governmental or international involvement. Although locust and grasshopper outbreaks are now better controlled and often shorter in duration and reduced in extent, large outbreaks, often promoted by climate change, continue to occur in many parts of the world. While some locust and grasshopper control systems are still curative, the recognition of the damage these pests can cause and the socioeconomic consequences of locust and grasshopper outbreaks have led to an increasing paradigm shift from crop protection to preventive management. Effective preventive management strategy relies on an improved knowledge of the pest biology and ecology and more efficient monitoring and control techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | | | - Alexandre Latchininsky
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
- Current affiliation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 00153 Rome, Italy;
| | - David Hunter
- Orthopterists' Society, McKellar, ACT 2617, Australia;
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40
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Zumaya M, Larralde H, Aldana M. Delay in the dispersal of flocks moving in unbounded space using long-range interactions. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15872. [PMID: 30367121 PMCID: PMC6203710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34208-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the pioneering work by Vicsek and his collaborators on the motion of self-propelled particles, most of the subsequent studies have focused on the onset of ordered states through a phase transition driven by particle density and noise. Usually, the particles in these systems are placed within periodic boundary conditions and interact via short-range velocity alignment forces. However, when the periodic boundaries are eliminated, letting the particles move in open space, the system is not able to organize into a coherently moving group since even small amounts of noise cause the flock to break apart. While the phase transition has been thoroughly studied, the conditions to keep the flock cohesive in open space are still poorly understood. Here we extend the Vicsek model of collective motion by introducing long-range alignment interactions between the particles. We show that just a small number of these interactions is enough for the system to build up long lasting ordered states of collective motion in open space and in the presence of noise. This finding was verified for other models in addition to the Vicsek one, suggesting its generality and revealing the importance that long-range interactions can have for the cohesion of the flock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Zumaya
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Colonia Chamilpa, Código Postal, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Hernán Larralde
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Colonia Chamilpa, Código Postal, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Maximino Aldana
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Colonia Chamilpa, Código Postal, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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41
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Lihoreau M, Gómez-Moracho T, Pasquaretta C, Costa JT, Buhl C. Social nutrition: an emerging field in insect science. Curr Opin Insect Sci 2018; 28:73-80. [PMID: 30551770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition is thought to be a major driver of social evolution, yet empirical support for this hypothesis is scarce. Here we illustrate how conceptual advances in nutritional ecology illuminate some of the mechanisms by which nutrition mediates social interactions in insects. We focus on experiments and models of nutritional geometry and argue that they provide a powerful means for comparing nutritional phenomena across species exhibiting various social ecologies. This approach, initially developed to study the nutritional behaviour of individual insects, has been increasingly used to study insect groups and societies, leading to the emerging field of social nutrition. We discuss future directions for exploring how these nutritional mechanisms may influence major social transitions in insects and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - James T Costa
- Highlands Biological Station, 265 N. Sixth Street, Highlands, NC 28741, USA; Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
| | - Camille Buhl
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Southern Australia 5005, Australia
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42
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Abstract
The study of collective behaviour aims to understand how individual-level behaviours can lead to complex group-level patterns. Collective behaviour has primarily been studied in animal groups such as colonies of insects, flocks of birds and schools of fish. Although less studied, collective behaviour also occurs in microorganisms. Here, we argue that slime moulds are powerful model systems for solving several outstanding questions in collective behaviour. In particular, slime mould may hold the key to linking individual-level mechanisms to colony-level behaviours. Using well-established principles of collective animal behaviour as a framework, we discuss the extent to which slime mould collectives are comparable to animal groups, and we highlight some potentially fruitful areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R Reid
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW,Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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43
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Abstract
The movement of animals in groups is widespread in nature. Understanding this phenomenon presents an important problem in ecology with many applications that range from conservation to robotics. Underlying all group movements are interactions between individual animals and it is therefore crucial to understand the mechanisms of this social behaviour. To date, despite promising methodological developments, there are few applications to data of practical statistical techniques that inferentially investigate the extent and nature of social interactions in group movement. We address this gap by demonstrating the usefulness of a Hidden Markov Model approach to characterise individual-level social movement in published trajectory data on three-spined stickleback shoals (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and novel data on guppy shoals (Poecilia reticulata). With these models, we formally test for speed-mediated social interactions and verify that they are present. We further characterise this inferred social behaviour and find that despite the substantial shoal-level differences in movement dynamics between species, it is qualitatively similar in guppies and sticklebacks. It is intermittent, occurring in varying numbers of individuals at different time points. The speeds of interacting fish follow a bimodal distribution, indicating that they are either stationary or move at a preferred mean speed, and social fish with more social neighbours move at higher speeds, on average. Our findings and methodology present steps towards characterising social behaviour in animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai W F Bode
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UK.
| | - Michael J Seitz
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 80335, Munich, Germany
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44
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Oyama N, Molina JJ, Yamamoto R. Do hydrodynamically assisted binary collisions lead to orientational ordering of microswimmers? Eur Phys J E Soft Matter 2017; 40:95. [PMID: 29110098 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2017-11586-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the onset of collective motion in systems of model microswimmers, by performing a comprehensive analysis of the binary collision dynamics using three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) with hydrodynamic interactions. From this data, we have constructed a simplified binary collision model (BCM) which accurately reproduces the collective behavior obtained from the DNS for most cases. Thus, we show that global alignment can mostly arise solely from binary collisions. Although the agreement between both models (DNS and BCM) is not perfect, the parameter range in which notable differences appear is also that for which strong density fluctuations are present in the system (where pseudo-sound mound can be observed (N. Oyama et al., Phys. Rev. E 93, 043114 (2016))).
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Oyama
- Mathematics for Advanced Materials-OIL, AIST-Tohoku University, 980-8577, Sendai, Japan.
| | - John Jairo Molina
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University, 615-8510, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Yamamoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University, 615-8510, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 153-8505, Tokyo, Japan
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45
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Romano D, Benelli G, Stefanini C. Escape and surveillance asymmetries in locusts exposed to a Guinea fowl-mimicking robot predator. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12825. [PMID: 28993651 PMCID: PMC5634469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12941-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Escape and surveillance responses to predators are lateralized in several vertebrate species. However, little is known on the laterality of escapes and predator surveillance in arthropods. In this study, we investigated the lateralization of escape and surveillance responses in young instars and adults of Locusta migratoria during biomimetic interactions with a robot-predator inspired to the Guinea fowl, Numida meleagris. Results showed individual-level lateralization in the jumping escape of locusts exposed to the robot-predator attack. The laterality of this response was higher in L. migratoria adults over young instars. Furthermore, population-level lateralization of predator surveillance was found testing both L. migratoria adults and young instars; locusts used the right compound eye to oversee the robot-predator. Right-biased individuals were more stationary over left-biased ones during surveillance of the robot-predator. Individual-level lateralization could avoid predictability during the jumping escape. Population-level lateralization may improve coordination in the swarm during specific group tasks such as predator surveillance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of lateralized predator-prey interactions in insects. Our findings outline the possibility of using biomimetic robots to study predator-prey interaction, avoiding the use of real predators, thus achieving standardized experimental conditions to investigate complex and flexible behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Institute, Khalifa University PO Box, 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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46
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Dkhili J, Berger U, Idrissi Hassani LM, Ghaout S, Peters R, Piou C. Self-organized spatial structures of locust groups emerging from local interaction. Ecol Modell 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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47
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Abstract
We show that fore-aft asymmetry, a generic feature of living organisms and some active matter systems, can have a strong influence on the collective properties of even the simplest flocking models. Specifically, an arbitrarily weak asymmetry favoring front neighbors changes qualitatively the phase diagram of the Vicsek model. A region where many sharp traveling band solutions coexist is present at low noise strength, below the Toner-Tu liquid, at odds with the phase-separation scenario well describing the usual isotropic model. Inside this region, a "banded-liquid" phase with algebraic density distribution coexists with band solutions. Linear stability analysis at the hydrodynamic level suggests that these results are generic and not specific to the Vicsek model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Shi Chen
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Aurelio Patelli
- ISC-CNR, UoS Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Service de Physique de l'Etat Condensé, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugues Chaté
- Service de Physique de l'Etat Condensé, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100094, China
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ma
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Xia-Qing Shi
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
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48
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Song H, Foquet B, Mariño-Pérez R, Woller DA. Phylogeny of locusts and grasshoppers reveals complex evolution of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6606. [PMID: 28747803 PMCID: PMC5529561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07105-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Locusts are grasshoppers that can form dense migrating swarms through an extreme form of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity, known as locust phase polyphenism. We present a comprehensive phylogeny of the genus Schistocerca, which contains both non-swarming grasshoppers and swarming locusts. We find that the desert locust, S. gregaria, which is the only Old World representative of the genus, is the earliest diverging lineage. This suggests that the common ancestor of Schistocerca must have been a swarming locust that crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to America approximately 6 million years ago, giving rise to the current diversity in the New World. This also implies that density-dependent phenotypic plasticity is an ancestral trait for the genus. Through ancestral character reconstruction of reaction norms, we show that colour plasticity has been largely retained in most species in the genus, but behavioural plasticity was lost and regained at least twice. Furthermore, we show that swarming species do not form a monophyletic group and non-swarming species that are closely related to locusts often express locust-like plastic reaction norms. Thus, we conclude that individual reaction norms have followed different evolutionary trajectories, which have led to the evolutionary transition between grasshoppers and locusts - and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojun Song
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Bert Foquet
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Derek A Woller
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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49
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Shelton DS, Meyer PM, Ocasio KM. Environmental structure and energetic consequences in groups of young mice. Physiol Behav 2017; 177:155-160. [PMID: 28433468 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Microenvironments can have considerable physiological consequences for the inhabitants by influencing the movements of individual members. The microenvironment can permit more diverse aggregation patterns or restrict movements to certain dimensions. Here, we tested whether aspects of the microenvironment that influenced aggregation patterns also influenced the energetics of groups of young animals. We tested the effects of enclosure configuration on the group temperature and respiration of infant mice (Mus musculus). We monitored the huddle temperature and respiration of groups in flat, concave and conical enclosures, which varied in shape and available space, and consequently the types of movements they permitted. We found that the amount of available space (or density) had a stronger effect on the group temperature than did the shape of the enclosure or types of permissible movements. We found no evidence that density or shape of the arena strongly affected the respiration rate of the group, with groups showing similar levels of oxygen consumption in all treatments. The lower density enclosures conveyed a considerable metabolic savings to groups in comparison to those tested in a higher density enclosure. These findings show density can have a large effect on the energetics of young mice, and provide insights on how simple features of the environment will influence physiology in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia S Shelton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany; Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Paul M Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Karen M Ocasio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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Boulay J, Deneubourg JL, Hédouin V, Charabidzé D. Interspecific shared collective decision-making in two forensically important species. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2015.2676. [PMID: 26865296 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, the study of collective behaviour has mainly focused on intraspecific situations: the collective decision-making of mixed-species groups involving interspecific aggregation-segregation has received little attention. Here, we show that, in both conspecific and heterospecific groups, the larvae of two species (Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vomitoria, calliphorid carrion-feeding flies) were able to make a collective choice. In all groups, the choice was made within a few minutes and persisted throughout the period of the experiment. The monitoring of a focal individual within a group showed that these aggregations were governed by attractive and retentive effects of the group. Furthermore, the similarity observed between the conspecific and heterospecific groups suggested the existence of shared aggregation signals. The group size was found to have a stronger influence than the species of necrophagous larvae. These results should be viewed in relation to the well-known correlation between group size and heat generation. This study provides the first experimental examination of the dynamics of collective decision-making in mixed-species groups of invertebrates, contributing to our understanding of the cooperation-competition phenomenon in animal social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Boulay
- CHU Lille, Université Lille 2, EA 7367-UTML-Unité de Taphonomie Médico-Légale, Lille, France Unit of Social Ecology-CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Building NO-level 5, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Deneubourg
- Unit of Social Ecology-CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Building NO-level 5, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Valéry Hédouin
- CHU Lille, Université Lille 2, EA 7367-UTML-Unité de Taphonomie Médico-Légale, Lille, France
| | - Damien Charabidzé
- CHU Lille, Université Lille 2, EA 7367-UTML-Unité de Taphonomie Médico-Légale, Lille, France
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