Identifying social learning in animal populations: a new 'option-bias' method.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Studies of natural animal populations reveal widespread evidence for the diffusion of novel behaviour patterns, and for intra- and inter-population variation in behaviour. However, claims that these are manifestations of animal 'culture' remain controversial because alternative explanations to social learning remain difficult to refute. This inability to identify social learning in social settings has also contributed to the failure to test evolutionary hypotheses concerning the social learning strategies that animals deploy.

Methodology/principal findings

We present a solution to this problem, in the form of a new means of identifying social learning in animal populations. The method is based on the well-established premise of social learning research, that--when

SUBMITTER: Kendal RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2717327 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature