Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bruna Santos-Silva, Natalia Hanazaki, Fabio G. Daura-Jorge, Mauricio Cantor
Summary: This study examines how individual traits influence the decision of artisanal net-casting fishers to cooperate or fish alone, and finds that cooperative fishers catch more fish and experience higher social prestige and embeddedness. Material gains from foraging, as well as non-material benefits from socializing with like-minded individuals, can influence the dynamics of human social foraging.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Elizabeth L. Franklin, Karen E. Smith, Nigel E. Raine
Summary: Groups of cooperative organisms benefit from the contributions of specialist and generalist individuals. Bumble bee individuals with preferences for specific resources showed upregulation in foraging bouts when the corresponding resource was in demand, highlighting the potential value of foraging preferences in bumble bee colonies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mauricio Cantor, Damien R. Farine, Susan Alberts
Summary: Interactions between humans and nature often have negative consequences, and behavioral and environmental changes can turn cooperative interactions into conflicts, threatening the survival of both species involved. A study of artisanal fishers and wild dolphins targeting migratory mullets reveals that foraging synchrony is crucial for the success of both predators. The dolphins herd the mullet schools towards the fishers' nets, providing them with more prey, while the fishers' casting behavior must match the dolphins' foraging cues. However, declines in mullet availability are jeopardizing this cooperation and pushing it towards extinction.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kai-Yin Lin, Jeffrey C. Schank
Summary: The social organization of primate species varies across different species, and group size plays a role in determining social organization, although little is known about this relationship.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Violette Chiara, Patrick Arrufat, Raphael Jeanson
Summary: Synchronized oscillations are a common phenomenon in all living systems, involving delay response and communication among entities. In social spiders, individuals synchronize their movements to catch large prey. An experimental mechanistic model reveals that the emergence of oscillations involves a variable refractory period, depending on the intensity of prey and conspecific signals. The benefits of synchronization outweigh the cost of delayed immobility phases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Martin Quque, Olivier Bles, Annaelle Benard, Amelie Heraud, Bastien Meunier, Francois Criscuolo, Jean-Louis Deneubourg, Cedric Sueur
Summary: The study reveals a hierarchical network structure in eusocial insects, not only centralized around foragers but including other intermediaries like domestics. Network resilience, the ratio between global efficiency and centralization, remains stable with colony size but increases in the presence of broods to meet the nutritional needs of larvae.
Article
Biology
Thomas S. S. Kraft, Daniel K. K. Cummings, Vivek V. V. Venkataraman, Sarah Alami, Bret Beheim, Paul Hooper, Ed Seabright, Benjamin C. C. Trumble, Jonathan Stieglitz, Hillard Kaplan, Karen L. L. Endicott, Kirk M. M. Endicott, Michael Gurven
Summary: Cooperation is a characteristic of humans, but the costs and benefits of cooperation differ among production regimes. The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture likely reshaped the structure of cooperative subsistence networks. Hunter-gatherers rely more on cooperation due to higher food acquisition risks, while horticulturalists have more restricted cooperation networks.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Zhenyu Shi, Wei Wei, Matjaz Perc, Baifeng Li, Zhiming Zheng
Summary: This study proposes a multilayer network model to investigate the joint effects of group selection and network reciprocity on the evolution of cooperation. The findings reveal that the fine-tuning of evolution frequency and imitation rate in the group network plays a crucial role in determining the survival thresholds of cooperators in the prisoner's dilemma game.
APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTATION
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
I. Samoylenko, D. Aleja, E. Primo, K. Alfaro-Bittner, E. Vasilyeva, K. Kovalenko, D. Musatov, A. M. Raigorodskii, R. Criado, M. Romance, D. Papo, M. Perc, B. Barzel, S. Boccaletti
Summary: A wealth of evidence shows that real-world networks have the small-world property and most social networks exhibit the six degrees of separation, where individuals are within six connections of each other. However, the reason behind the ultrasmall-world organization of social networks is still unknown. This study demonstrates that the six degrees of separation is a feature of equilibrium state in networks, where individuals balance their aspiration for centrality and the costs of forming and maintaining connections.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Wen-Jing Li, Zhi Chen, Jun Wang, Luo-Luo Jiang, Matjaz Perc
Summary: Relationships in social networks change over time due to factors such as mobility and preferences for moral behavior, which affect cooperation in collaborative networks. Individuals tend to move towards sites with high degrees, resulting in networks with higher average degrees and promoting cooperation. However, excessive mobility can lead to network structure dilution and well-mixed conditions. Optimal network reciprocity and robust cooperation require limited mobility, and similar patterns may apply to other forms of moral behavior.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pau Guillamat, Carles Blanch-Mercader, Guillaume Pernollet, Karsten Kruse, Aurelien Roux
Summary: Integer topological defects promote cellular self-organization and regulate cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis. The self-organization of cells around these defects can establish complex multicellular structures and trigger localized cell differentiation or the growth of swirling cellular pillars. These processes require specific stress patterns.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Benjamin De Bari, Dilip K. Kondepudi, James A. Dixon
Summary: In this study, a simulated chemical dissipative structure acting as a proto cell was reported to better understand the thermodynamics of biological systems. By investigating the relationship between foraging dynamics and entropy production, it was found that there is a regulation mechanism between the dynamical steady states and entropy production. These results provide both support for and contradictions to the maximum entropy production principle.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Weipang Chang, Andrea Pedroni, Reinhard W. Koster, Stefania Giacomello, Konstantinos Ampatzis
Summary: This study demonstrates experimentally that Purkinje cells in the valvular part of the cerebellum in adult zebrafish exhibit variable firing patterns and functional responses, categorizing into three classes. Compared to Purkinje cells in the corpus cerebelli, valvular Purkinje cells receive weak and occasional input from the inferior olive and are inactive during locomotion. These findings expand the understanding of regional functional differences among Purkinje cells and highlight their non-locomotor functionalities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aditya Nair, Tomomi Karigo, Bin Yang, Surya Ganguli, Mark J. Schnitzer, Scott W. Linderman, David J. Anderson, Ann Kennedy
Summary: The hypothalamus regulates innate social behaviors. Optogenetic stimulation of specific neuronal subpopulations within MPOA and VMHvl can evoke mating and aggression. Dynamical systems modeling reveals that in VMHvl, neural activity exhibits a dominant dimension with a large time constant, potentially encoding a scalable state of aggressiveness. In contrast, MPOA employs neurons with fast dynamics tuned to specific actions during mating. Thus, different hypothalamic nuclei utilize distinct neural population codes to represent similar social behaviors.
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Wen-Jing Li, Zhi Chen, Ke-Zhong Jin, Jun Wang, Lin Yuan, Changgui Gu, Luo-Luo Jiang, Matjaz Perc
Summary: Collective cooperation and social mobility are common in human societies, and the complex mobility affects the cooperation in social dilemmas. The study finds that increasing the probability or radius of mobility may weaken network reciprocity, but free mobility can lead to stable and significantly improved cooperation. Local mobility has a positive impact on cooperation. In summary, this research contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay between network reciprocity and mobility.
APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daiping Wang, Wolfgang Forstmeier, Damien R. Farine, Adriana A. Maldonado-Chaparro, Katrin Martin, Yifan Pei, Gustavo Alarcon-Nieto, James A. Klarevas-Irby, Shouwen Ma, Lucy M. Aplin, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Culturally transmitted communication signals, such as bird song, can change over time and lead to the emergence of song dialects, even when songs are highly individual-specific. This study shows that machine learning can accurately distinguish between songs from different zebra finch populations and reveals the presence of cryptic song dialects. The authors also demonstrate that zebra finches are sensitive to song differences and exhibit assortative mating based on song dialect.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Grace H. Davis, Margaret C. Crofoot, Damien R. Farine
Summary: Studying animal behavior as collective phenomena helps understand social processes, and linking individual behavior during group decision-making to preferences is a challenge. Optimal foraging theory, particularly the marginal value theorem, provides predictions about individual preferences that can be compared under different models. Formally linking optimal foraging theory to collective behavior allows for easy field testing and studying group decision-making in various species to reveal ecological drivers and evolutionary consequences.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Peng He, James A. Klarevas-Irby, Danai Papageorgiou, Charlotte Christensen, Eli D. Strauss, Damien R. Farine
Summary: GPS-based tracking is widely used in studying wild social animals. This study provides recommendations for sampling strategies in GPS-based tracking studies of animal societies, taking into account the trade-offs between sampling coverage, duration, and frequency. The study demonstrates the effects of GPS error on distance inference and how the trade-off between sampling frequency and duration can impact inferences of social interactions. It also highlights the influence of sampling coverage on measures of social behavior. The findings offer practical advice for designing GPS-based field studies and emphasize the importance of optimal deployment decisions.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Quinn M. R. Webber, Gregory F. F. Albery, Damien R. R. Farine, Noa Pinter-Wollman, Nitika Sharma, Orr Spiegel, Eric Vander Wal, Kezia Manlove
Summary: Spatial and social behaviour are closely linked in an animal's biology, with implications for ecological and evolutionary processes. The 'spatial-social interface' is defined as the intersection of social and spatial aspects of individuals. Shared theory, vocabulary, and methods are used to connect spatial and social processes. The review integrates social and spatial behavioural ecology and identifies testable hypotheses at the spatial-social interface.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mauricio Cantor, Damien R. Farine, Susan Alberts
Summary: Interactions between humans and nature often have negative consequences, and behavioral and environmental changes can turn cooperative interactions into conflicts, threatening the survival of both species involved. A study of artisanal fishers and wild dolphins targeting migratory mullets reveals that foraging synchrony is crucial for the success of both predators. The dolphins herd the mullet schools towards the fishers' nets, providing them with more prey, while the fishers' casting behavior must match the dolphins' foraging cues. However, declines in mullet availability are jeopardizing this cooperation and pushing it towards extinction.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mary Jo Cantoria, Elaheh Alizadeh, Janani Ravi, Reeba P. Varghese, Nawat Bunnag, Kelvin W. Pond, Arminja N. Kettenbach, Yashi Ahmed, Andrew L. Paek, John J. Tyson, Konstantin Doubrovinski, Ethan Lee, Curtis A. Thorne
Summary: In this study, it was found that the cellular response to Wnt ligands is proportional to their concentration. Positive feedback between the scaffold protein Axin and the kinase GSK3 resulted in bistable behavior of the destruction complex. Experimental evidence showed that the cellular concentration of beta-catenin exhibited an all-or-none response with sustained memory.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Stephane P. G. de Moura, Beatriz Schulze, Matt K. K. Broadhurst, Mauricio Cantor, Camila Domit
Summary: The study provides information on the population dynamics and abundance of Guiana dolphins in the Paranagua estuarine complex in southern Brazil. The photo-identification data collected from 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 suggest a total population of approximately 454-902 individuals. These findings are important for assessing population trends and conservation efforts for Guiana dolphins.
Article
Biology
Mina Ogino, Eli D. Strauss, Damien R. Farine
Summary: The study of how individual experience and population evolutionary history shape emergent patterns in animal collectives is still a major gap in collective behavior research. Mismatched timescales between the processes that shape individual contributions and collective actions pose conceptual and methodological challenges. This article briefly outlines these challenges and discusses existing approaches that have provided insights into factors shaping individual contributions. A case study on vulturine guineafowl shows that different temporal definitions can result in different assignments of individuals into groups, which can impact the determination of individuals' social history and conclusions on the effects of the social environment on collective actions.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Daniel M. Palacios, Mauricio Cantor
Summary: The Galapagos Islands in the eastern tropical Pacific are subject to strong environmental variability. Research has shown the presence of at least 23 cetacean species, including 14 common species, in these islands. However, cetacean research in Galapagos has been sporadic and underfunded, and not considered a priority. This study identifies priorities for ecological research on cetaceans in Galapagos and recommends optimizing data sampling, incorporating citizen science activities, and involving stakeholders in the research agenda.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
A. G. McInturf, J. Bowman, J. M. Schulte, K. C. Newton, B. Vigil, M. Honig, S. Pelletier, N. Cox, O. Lester, M. Cantor, T. K. Chapple
Summary: Elasmobranchs display a high diversity in movement, sensory capability, and behavior, leading to variations in associations and interactions between individuals, populations, and species. The lack of standardized terminology about aggregations in elasmobranchs hinders comparisons and understanding of their behavior. This study proposes generalizable definitions of aggregation, discusses their drivers and types, and provides directions for future research and reporting to advance the field.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kristina B. Beck, Damien R. Farine, Josh A. Firth, Ben C. Sheldon
Summary: The structure of animal societies is influenced by factors such as habitat configuration and population size. In this study, the researchers investigated how population size and habitat configuration affect the social structure of great tits. They found that population size was consistent within locations and predicted by habitat configuration, and that it influenced social structure as measured by network metrics. Additionally, the researchers discovered that social decisions made by individuals played a significant role in shaping social network features.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mina Ogino, Adriana A. A. Maldonado-Chaparro, Lucy M. M. Aplin, Damien R. R. Farine
Summary: Individuals exhibit consistent behavioral variation when interacting with others, which may contribute to group-specific patterns and between-group differences. However, it is unclear how external factors influence group-level social structures and whether there are consistent between-group differences after accounting for these factors. This study used automated tracking to analyze the social interactions and networks of zebra finch colonies, and found that external factors significantly influenced network structure. Nonetheless, there were still consistent between-group differences in social structure even after controlling for these factors.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic L. Cram, Jessica E. M. van der Wal, Natalie Uomini, Mauricio Cantor, Anap Afan, Mairenn C. Attwood, Jenny Amphaeris, Fatima Balasani, Cameron J. Blair, Judith L. Bronstein, Iahaia O. Buanachique, Rion R. T. Cuthill, Jewel Das, Fabio G. Daura-Jorge, Apurba Deb, Tanmay Dixit, Gcina S. Dlamini, Edmond Dounias, Isa I. Gedi, Martin Gruber, Lilian S. Hoffmann, Tobias Holzlehner, Hussein A. Isack, Eliupendo A. Laltaika, David J. Lloyd-Jones, Jess Lund, Alexandre M. S. Machado, L. Mahadevan, Ignacio B. Moreno, Chima J. Nwaogu, Raymond Pierotti, Seliano A. Rucunua, Wilson F. dos Santos, Nathalia Serpa, Brian D. Smith, Hari Sridhar, Irina Tolkova, Tint Tun, Joao V. S. Valle-Pereira, Brian M. Wood, Richard W. Wrangham, Claire N. Spottiswoode
Summary: Human-wildlife cooperation is a mutualistic relationship where humans and free-living animals actively coordinate their behavior for a common beneficial outcome. This article reviews and synthesizes the function, mechanism, development, and evolution of human-wildlife cooperation. The study identifies active cases involving cooperation with honeyguide birds and two dolphin species, as well as historical cases involving wolves and orcas. The article highlights the importance of social learning in developing the necessary skills for cooperation and emphasizes the distinct behavioral variants that have emerged in these interactions.