<i>Accept-reject</i> decision-making revealed via a quantitative and ethological study of <i>C. elegans</i> foraging.

ABSTRACT: Decision-making is a ubiquitous component of animal behavior that is often studied in the context of foraging. Foragers make a series of decisions while locating food (food search), choosing between food types (diet or patch choice), and allocating time spent within patches of food (patch-leaving). Here, we introduce a framework for investigating foraging decisions using detailed analysis of individual behavior and quantitative modeling in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that C. elegans make accept-reject patch choice decisions upon encounter with food. Specifically, we show that when foraging among small, dispersed, and dilute patches of bacteria, C. elegans initially reject several bacterial patches, opting to prioritize exploration

SUBMITTER: Haley JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12422737 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature