Challenges and solutions for studying collective animal behaviour in the wild
Abstract
Mobile animal groups provide some of the most compelling examples of self-organization in the natural world. While field observations of songbird flocks wheeling in the sky or anchovy schools fleeing from predators have inspired considerable interest in the mechanics of collective motion, the challenge of simultaneously monitoring multiple animals in the field has historically limited our capacity to study collective behaviour of wild animal groups with precision. However, recent technological advancements now present exciting opportunities to overcome many of these limitations. Here we review existing methods used to collect data on the movements and interactions of multiple animals in a natural setting. We then survey emerging technologies that are poised to revolutionize the study of collective animal behaviour by extending the spatial and temporal scales of inquiry, increasing data volume and quality, and expediting the post-processing of raw data.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 26, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1098/rstb.2017.0005
Entities
People
- Andrew M. Hein
- Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Frants H. Jensen
- Lacey F Hughey
Organizations
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus Universitet
- Aarhus University
- Carlsberg Foundation
- Human Frontier Science Program
- James S. McDonnell Foundation
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Zurich
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution