Simple foraging rules in competitive environments can generate socially structured populations.

ABSTRACT: Social vertebrates commonly form foraging groups whose members repeatedly interact with one another and are often genetically related. Many species also exhibit within-population specializations, which can range from preferences to forage in particular areas through to specializing on the type of prey they catch. However, within-population structure in foraging groups, behavioral homogeneity in foraging behavior, and relatedness could be outcomes of behavioral interactions rather than underlying drivers. We present a simple process by which grouping among foragers emerges and is maintained across generations. We introduce agent-based models to investigate (1) whether a simple rule (keep foraging with the same individuals when you were successful) leads to stable social community structure,

SUBMITTER: Cantor M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5980395 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature