Fission-fusion dynamics in sheep: the influence of resource distribution and temporal activity patterns.

ABSTRACT: Fission-fusion events, i.e. changes to the size and composition of animal social groups, are a mechanism to adjust the social environment in response to short-term changes in the cost-benefit ratio of group living. Furthermore, the time and location of fission-fusion events provide insight into the underlying drivers of these dynamics. Here, we describe a method for identifying group membership over time and for extracting fission-fusion events from animal tracking data. We applied this method to high-resolution GPS data of free-ranging sheep (Ovis aries). Group size was highest during times when sheep typically rest (midday and at night), and when anti-predator benefits of grouping are high while costs of competition are low. Consistent with this, fission and fusion frequencies wer

SUBMITTER: Della Libera K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10354475 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature