| Records |
| Author |
Harcourt, J.L.; Ang, T.Z.; Sweetman, G.; Johnstone, R.A.; Manica, A. |
| Title |
Social feedback and the emergence of leaders and followers |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Current Biology : CB |
Abbreviated Journal |
Curr Biol |
| Volume |
19 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
248-252 |
| Keywords |
Analysis of Variance; Animals; Appetitive Behavior/physiology; *Feedback; Great Britain; *Leadership; Markov Chains; Models, Biological; Monte Carlo Method; Smegmamorpha/*physiology; *Social Behavior; Video Recording |
| Abstract |
In many animal groups, certain individuals consistently appear at the forefront of coordinated movements [1-4]. How such leaders emerge is poorly understood [5, 6]. Here, we show that in pairs of sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, leadership arises from individual differences in the way that fish respond to their partner's movements. Having first established that individuals differed in their propensity to leave cover in order to look for food, we randomly paired fish of varying boldness, and we used a Markov Chain model to infer the individual rules underlying their joint behavior. Both fish in a pair responded to each other's movements-each was more likely to leave cover if the other was already out and to return if the other had already returned. However, we found that bolder individuals displayed greater initiative and were less responsive to their partners, whereas shyer individuals displayed less initiative but followed their partners more faithfully; they also, as followers, elicited greater leadership tendencies in their bold partners. We conclude that leadership in this case is reinforced by positive social feedback. |
| Address |
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0960-9822 |
ISBN |
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| Notes |
PMID:19185497 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number  |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5123 |
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| Author |
Rands, S.A.; Cowlishaw, G.; Pettifor, R.A.; Rowcliffe, J.M.; Johnstone, R.A. |
| Title |
The emergence of leaders and followers in foraging pairs when the qualities of individuals differ |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2008 |
Publication |
BMC Evolutionary Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
BMC Evol Biol |
| Volume |
8 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
51 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Feeding Behavior; *Food Chain; *Models, Biological; *Social Dominance |
| Abstract |
BACKGROUND: Foraging in groups offers animals a number of advantages, such as increasing their likelihood of finding food or detecting and avoiding predators. In order for a group to remain together, there has to be some degree of coordination of behaviour and movement between its members (which may in some cases be initiated by a decision-making leader, and in other cases may emerge as an underlying property of the group). For example, behavioural synchronisation is a phenomenon where animals within a group initiate and then continue to conduct identical behaviours, and has been characterised for a wide range of species. We examine how a pair of animals should behave using a state-dependent approach, and ask what conditions are likely to lead to behavioural synchronisation occurring, and whether one of the individuals is more likely to act as a leader. RESULTS: The model we describe considers how the energetic gain, metabolic requirements and predation risks faced by the individuals affect measures of their energetic state and behaviour (such as the degree of behavioural synchronisation seen within the pair, and the value to an individual of knowing the energetic state of its colleague). We explore how predictable changes in these measures are in response to changes in physiological requirements and predation risk. We also consider how these measures should change when the members of the pair are not identical in their metabolic requirements or their susceptibility to predation. We find that many of the changes seen in these measures are complex, especially when asymmetries exist between the members of the pair. CONCLUSION: Analyses are presented that demonstrate that, although these general patterns are robust, care needs to be taken when considering the effects of individual differences, as the relationship between individual differences and the resulting qualitative changes in behaviour may be complex. We discuss how these results are related to experimental observations, and how the model and its predictions could be extended. |
| Address |
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. sean.rands@bristol.ac.uk |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1471-2148 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:18282297 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5126 |
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| Author |
Conradt, L.; Roper, T.J. |
| Title |
Group decision-making in animals |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
421 |
Issue |
6919 |
Pages |
155-158 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Decision Making; Democracy; Group Processes; *Models, Biological; Population Density; Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
Groups of animals often need to make communal decisions, for example about which activities to perform, when to perform them and which direction to travel in; however, little is known about how they do so. Here, we model the fitness consequences of two possible decision-making mechanisms: 'despotism' and 'democracy'. We show that under most conditions, the costs to subordinate group members, and to the group as a whole, are considerably higher for despotic than for democratic decisions. Even when the despot is the most experienced group member, it only pays other members to accept its decision when group size is small and the difference in information is large. Democratic decisions are more beneficial primarily because they tend to produce less extreme decisions, rather than because each individual has an influence on the decision per se. Our model suggests that democracy should be widespread and makes quantitative, testable predictions about group decision-making in non-humans. |
| Address |
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. l.conradt@sussex.ac.uk |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0028-0836 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12520299 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5136 |
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| Author |
Rands, S.A.; Cowlishaw, G.; Pettifor, R.A.; Rowcliffe, J.M.; Johnstone, R.A. |
| Title |
Spontaneous emergence of leaders and followers in foraging pairs |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
423 |
Issue |
6938 |
Pages |
432-434 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Energy Metabolism; Food; *Food Chain; *Models, Biological; Motor Activity; *Social Behavior; Time Factors |
| Abstract |
Animals that forage socially often stand to gain from coordination of their behaviour. Yet it is not known how group members reach a consensus on the timing of foraging bouts. Here we demonstrate a simple process by which this may occur. We develop a state-dependent, dynamic game model of foraging by a pair of animals, in which each individual chooses between resting or foraging during a series of consecutive periods, so as to maximize its own individual chances of survival. We find that, if there is an advantage to foraging together, the equilibrium behaviour of both individuals becomes highly synchronized. As a result of this synchronization, differences in the energetic reserves of the two players spontaneously develop, leading them to adopt different behavioural roles. The individual with lower reserves emerges as the 'pace-maker' who determines when the pair should forage, providing a straightforward resolution to the problem of group coordination. Moreover, the strategy that gives rise to this behaviour can be implemented by a simple 'rule of thumb' that requires no detailed knowledge of the state of other individuals. |
| Address |
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. s.rands@zoo.cam.ac.uk |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0028-0836 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12761547 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5138 |
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| Author |
Seyfarth, R.M. |
| Title |
A model of social grooming among adult female monkeys |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1977 |
Publication |
Journal of Theoretical Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Theor. Biol. |
| Volume |
65 |
Issue |
4 |
Pages |
671-698 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal; Female; *Grooming; Haplorhini/*physiology; *Models, Biological; Reproduction; Social Dominance; Time Factors |
| Abstract |
Grooming networks among adult female monkeys exhibit two similar features across a number of different species. High-ranking animals receive more grooming than others, and the majority of grooming occurs between females of adjacent rank. A theoretical model which duplicates these features is presented, and the properties of the model are used to explain the possible causation and function of female grooming behaviour. The model illustrates how relatively simple principles governing the behaviour of individuals may be used to explain more complex aspects of the social structure of non-human primate groups. |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0022-5193 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:406485 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5259 |
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| Author |
Flack, J.C.; de Waal, F.B.M.; Krakauer, D.C. |
| Title |
Social structure, robustness, and policing cost in a cognitively sophisticated species |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
The American Naturalist |
Abbreviated Journal |
Am Nat |
| Volume |
165 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
E126-139 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition; Conflict (Psychology); Female; Macaca nemestrina/*physiology; Male; Models, Biological; *Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
Conflict management is one of the primary requirements for social complexity. Of the many forms of conflict management, one of the rarest and most interesting is third-party policing, or intervening impartially to control conflict. Third-party policing should be hard to evolve because policers personally pay a cost for intervening, while the benefits are diffused over the whole group. In this study we investigate the incidence and costs of policing in a primate society. We report quantitative evidence of non-kin policing in the nonhuman primate, the pigtailed macaque. We find that policing is effective at reducing the intensity of or terminating conflict when performed by the most powerful individuals. We define a measure, social power consensus, that predicts effective low-cost interventions by powerful individuals and ineffective, relatively costly interventions by low-power individuals. Finally, we develop a simple probabilistic model to explore whether the degree to which policing can effectively reduce the societal cost of conflict is dependent on variance in the distribution of power. Our data and simple model suggest that third-party policing effectiveness and cost are dependent on power structure and might emerge only in societies with high variance in power. |
| Address |
Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA. jflack@santafe.edu |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1537-5323 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15795848 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
168 |
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| Author |
Flack, J.C.; Girvan, M.; de Waal, F.B.M.; Krakauer, D.C. |
| Title |
Policing stabilizes construction of social niches in primates |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
439 |
Issue |
7075 |
Pages |
426-429 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Conflict (Psychology); Female; Macaca nemestrina/*physiology/*psychology; Male; Models, Biological; *Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
All organisms interact with their environment, and in doing so shape it, modifying resource availability. Termed niche construction, this process has been studied primarily at the ecological level with an emphasis on the consequences of construction across generations. We focus on the behavioural process of construction within a single generation, identifying the role a robustness mechanism--conflict management--has in promoting interactions that build social resource networks or social niches. Using 'knockout' experiments on a large, captive group of pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina), we show that a policing function, performed infrequently by a small subset of individuals, significantly contributes to maintaining stable resource networks in the face of chronic perturbations that arise through conflict. When policing is absent, social niches destabilize, with group members building smaller, less diverse, and less integrated grooming, play, proximity and contact-sitting networks. Instability is quantified in terms of reduced mean degree, increased clustering, reduced reach, and increased assortativity. Policing not only controls conflict, we find it significantly influences the structure of networks that constitute essential social resources in gregarious primate societies. The structure of such networks plays a critical role in infant survivorship, emergence and spread of cooperative behaviour, social learning and cultural traditions. |
| Address |
Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA. jflack@santafe.edu |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1476-4687 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16437106 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
298 |
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| Author |
Cameron, E.Z. |
| Title |
Facultative adjustment of mammalian sex ratios in support of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis: evidence for a mechanism |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc Biol Sci |
| Volume |
271 |
Issue |
1549 |
Pages |
1723-1728 |
| Keywords |
Age Factors; Animals; Body Constitution; *Evolution; Female; Glucose/metabolism/physiology; Litter Size; Male; Mammals/*physiology; *Models, Biological; Reproduction/physiology; Seasons; Sex Factors; *Sex Ratio; Time Factors |
| Abstract |
Evolutionary theory predicts that mothers of different condition should adjust the birth sex ratio of their offspring in relation to future reproductive benefits. Published studies addressing variation in mammalian sex ratios have produced surprisingly contradictory results. Explaining the source of such variation has been a challenge for sex-ratio theory, not least because no mechanism for sex-ratio adjustment is known. I conducted a meta-analysis of previous mammalian sex-ratio studies to determine if there are any overall patterns in sex-ratio variation. The contradictory nature of previous results was confirmed. However, studies that investigated indices of condition around conception show almost unanimous support for the prediction that mothers in good condition bias their litters towards sons. Recent research on the role of glucose in reproductive functioning have shown that excess glucose favours the development of male blastocysts, providing a potential mechanism for sex-ratio variation in relation to maternal condition around conception. Furthermore, many of the conflicting results from studies on sex-ratio adjustment would be explained if glucose levels in utero during early cell division contributed to the determination of offspring sex ratios. |
| Address |
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. ezcameron@zoology.up.ac.za |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0962-8452 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15306293 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
413 |
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| Author |
Johnson, D.D.P.; Stopka, P.; Knights, S. |
| Title |
Sociology: The puzzle of human cooperation |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
421 |
Issue |
6926 |
Pages |
911-2; discussion 912 |
| Keywords |
Altruism; *Cooperative Behavior; Evolution; Humans; *Models, Biological; Punishment; Reward; Risk |
| Abstract |
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| Address |
Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. dominic@post.harvard.edu |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0028-0836 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12606989 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
467 |
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| Author |
Scheffer, M.; van Nes, E.H. |
| Title |
Self-organized similarity, the evolutionary emergence of groups of similar species |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
103 |
Issue |
16 |
Pages |
6230-6235 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Competitive Behavior; *Ecosystem; *Evolution; *Models, Biological |
| Abstract |
Ecologists have long been puzzled by the fact that there are so many similar species in nature. Here we show that self-organized clusters of look-a-likes may emerge spontaneously from coevolution of competitors. The explanation is that there are two alternative ways to survive together: being sufficiently different or being sufficiently similar. Using a model based on classical competition theory, we demonstrate a tendency for evolutionary emergence of regularly spaced lumps of similar species along a niche axis. Indeed, such lumpy patterns are commonly observed in size distributions of organisms ranging from algae, zooplankton, and beetles to birds and mammals, and could not be well explained by earlier theory. Our results suggest that these patterns may represent self-constructed niches emerging from competitive interactions. A corollary of our findings is that, whereas in species-poor communities sympatric speciation and invasion of open niches is possible, species-saturated communities may be characterized by convergent evolution and invasion by look-a-likes. |
| Address |
Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8080, 6700 DD, Wageningen, The Netherlands. marten.scheffer@wur.nl |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0027-8424 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16585519 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
510 |
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