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An information-theory approach to geometry for animal groups

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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.

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Acknowledgements

We thank ‘Les Attelages de la Roche Percée’ at ‘La Ferme de Nirveau’ in Pierrefontaine-les-Varans, 25510, France, for their support. We are grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation for supporting this project via the Ambizione Fellowship (PZ00P3_154741) awarded to CDD. KZ has also been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (31003A_166458). We are also grateful to the Taipei Medical University for awarding a Startup-funding to CDD (108-6402-004-112). We thank Guillaume Dezecache and Malte J. Rasch for comments on the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded via the Ambizione Fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (PZ00P3_154741) and the Startup-funding of Taipei Medical University (108-6402-004-112) awarded to CDD as well as by project funding of the Swiss National Science Foundation (31003A_166458) awarded to KZ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Christoph D. Dahl

  2. Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Taipei Medical University Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Christoph D. Dahl

  3. Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Christoph D. Dahl, Elodie Ferrando & Klaus Zuberbühler

  4. School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

    Klaus Zuberbühler

Authors
  1. Christoph D. Dahl
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  2. Elodie Ferrando
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  3. Klaus Zuberbühler
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Contributions

CDD: study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, writing article, provision of necessary tools; EF: data collection, provision of resources; KZ: provision of necessary tools and resources, writing article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christoph D. Dahl.

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Ethical approval

According to the local authorities (Comité d’Ethique de l’Expérimentation Animale Grand Campus Dijon, Université de Bourgogne, Maison de l’Université, Esplanade Erasme, 21078 Dijon, France), non-invasive studies on dogs are allowed to be conducted without any special permission in France. ‘Les Attelages de la Roche Percée’ at ‘La Ferme de Nirveau’ in 25510 Pierrefontaine-les-Varans, France, responded to our enquiry and volunteered to participate in this study.

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Dahl, C.D., Ferrando, E. & Zuberbühler, K. An information-theory approach to geometry for animal groups. Anim Cogn 23, 807–817 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01374-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01374-3

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