Dynamics of collective motion across time and species.
Marina Papadopoulou, Ines Fürtbauer, Lisa R O'Bryan, Simon Garnier, Dimitra G Georgopoulou, Anna M Bracken, Charlotte Christensen, Andrew J King
Author Information
Marina Papadopoulou: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK. ORCID
Ines Fürtbauer: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK. ORCID
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. ORCID
Dimitra G Georgopoulou: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK. ORCID
Anna M Bracken: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK. ORCID
Charlotte Christensen: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK.
Andrew J King: Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK. ORCID
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 (), flocks of homing pigeons (), a herd of goats () and a troop of chacma baboons (). 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'.
