Local orientation and the evolution of foraging: changes in decision making can eliminate evolutionary trade-offs.

ABSTRACT: Information processing is a major aspect of the evolution of animal behavior. In foraging, responsiveness to local feeding opportunities can generate patterns of behavior which reflect or "recognize patterns" in the environment beyond the perception of individuals. Theory on the evolution of behavior generally neglects such opportunity-based adaptation. Using a spatial individual-based model we study the role of opportunity-based adaptation in the evolution of foraging, and how it depends on local decision making. We compare two model variants which differ in the individual decision making that can evolve (restricted and extended model), and study the evolution of simple foraging behavior in environments where food is distributed either uniformly or in patches. We find that opportunity-bas

SUBMITTER: van der Post DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3188503 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature