An information-theory approach to geometry for animal groups

Abstract

One of the hardest problems in studying animal behaviour is to quantify patterns of social interaction at the group level. Recent technological developments in global positioning system (GPS) devices have opened up new avenues for locating animals with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. Likewise, advances in computing power have enabled new levels of data analyses with complex mathematical models to address unresolved problems in animal behaviour, such as the nature of group geometry and the impact of group-level interactions on individuals. Here, we present an information theory-based tool for the analysis of group behaviour. We illustrate its affordances with GPS data collected from a freely interacting pack of 15 Siberian huskies (Canis lupus familiaris). We found that individual freedom in movement decisions was limited to about 4%, while a subject's location could be predicted with 96% median accuracy by the locations of other group members. Dominant individuals were less affected by other individuals' locations than subordinate ones, and same-sex individuals influenced each other more strongly than opposite-sex individuals. We also found that kinship relationships increased the mutual dependencies of individuals. Moreover, the network stability of the pack deteriorated with an upcoming feeding event. Together, we conclude that information theory-based approaches, coupled with state-of-the-art bio-logging technology, provide a powerful tool for future studies of animal social interactions beyond the dyadic level.

Guppies in large groups cooperate more frequently in an experimental test of the group size paradox

“…[ 64 ]) or social dominance (e.g. [ 65 ])) will allow us to quantify fine-scale animal movement and information transfer during both natural and experimental encounters more precisely than has previously been possible. Models incorporating synergistic benefits into the volunteer's dilemma can predict that individuals in larger groups cooperate more (an example is given in electronic supplementary material, S6.2), suggesting that this effect might be applicable in a broad set of cooperative contexts.…”

Information Theory Opens New Dimensions in Experimental Studies of Animal Behaviour and Communication

“…Currently, information theory has many applications for studying the organisational complexity of behaviours, such as signal activities and communication within groups [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ], division of labour and information transfer within ant communities [ 17 , 18 , 66 ], modifications of behaviour under stress conditions [ 53 ], switching the degree of randomness in the sequences of rats’ choices during interactions with virtual competitors [ 67 ], alterations of escape trajectories and predator evasion abilities in rodents [ 68 ], and so on. Schreiber [ 69 ] introduced transfer entropy to detect asymmetries in the interaction of two coupled dynamical systems from their time series.…”