Consensus of travel direction is achieved by simple copying, not voting, in free-ranging goats.

ABSTRACT: For group-living animals to remain cohesive they must agree on where to travel. Theoretical models predict shared group decisions should be favoured, and a number of empirical examples support this. However, the behavioural mechanisms that underpin shared decision-making are not fully understood. Groups may achieve consensus of direction by active communication of individual preferences (i.e. voting), or by responding to each other's orientation and movement (i.e. copying). For example, African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are reported to use body orientation to vote and indicate their preferred direction to achieve a consensus on travel direction, while golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) achieve consensus of direction by responding to the movement cues of their neighbours

SUBMITTER: Sankey DWE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8074689 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature