Emergent group level navigation: an agent-based evaluation of movement patterns in a folivorous primate

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 21;8(10):e78264. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078264. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The foraging activity of many organisms reveal strategic movement patterns, showing efficient use of spatially distributed resources. The underlying mechanisms behind these movement patterns, such as the use of spatial memory, are topics of considerable debate. To augment existing evidence of spatial memory use in primates, we generated movement patterns from simulated primate agents with simple sensory and behavioral capabilities. We developed agents representing various hypotheses of memory use, and compared the movement patterns of simulated groups to those of an observed group of red colobus monkeys (Procolobus rufomitratus), testing for: the effects of memory type (Euclidian or landmark based), amount of memory retention, and the effects of social rules in making foraging choices at the scale of the group (independent or leader led). Our results indicate that red colobus movement patterns fit best with simulated groups that have landmark based memory and a follow the leader foraging strategy. Comparisons between simulated agents revealed that social rules had the greatest impact on a group's step length, whereas the type of memory had the highest impact on a group's path tortuosity and cohesion. Using simulation studies as experimental trials to test theories of spatial memory use allows the development of insight into the behavioral mechanisms behind animal movement, developing case-specific results, as well as general results informing how changes to perception and behavior influence movement patterns.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Colobus / physiology*
  • Haplorhini / physiology*
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Movement / physiology*

Grants and funding

Funding for the research in Kibale was provided by the Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, National Science Foundation, and National Geographic. TB received support from Fonds de Recherche Nature et Technologies. Permission to conduct the research in Uganda was given by the National Council for Science and Technology and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. JFG was supported by a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation and the Explorers Club – Eddie Bauer Youth Grant. MDW received funding from McGill University’s Tomlinson Postdoctoral Fellowship. MC was supported by Government of Canada Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (PDRF). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.