Disentangling influence over group speed and direction reveals multiple patterns of influence in moving meerkat groups.

ABSTRACT: Animals that travel together in groups must constantly come to consensus about both the direction and speed of movement, often simultaneously. Contributions to collective decisions may vary among group members, yet inferring who has influence over group decisions is challenging, largely due to the multifaceted nature of influence. Here we collected high-resolution GPS data from five habituated meerkat groups in their natural habitat during foraging and developed a method to quantify individual influence over both group direction and speed. We find that individual influence over direction and speed are correlated, but also exhibit substantial variation. Comparing patterns across social statuses reveals that dominant females have higher influence than other individuals over both group direct

SUBMITTER: Averly B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9381760 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature