Variability in individual assessment behaviour and its implications for collective decision-making
Variability in individual assessment behaviour and its implications for collective decision-making
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2016.2237
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发表时间：
2017-02-08
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Franks, Nigel R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
O'Shea-Wheller, Thomas A.;Masuda, Naoki;Franks, Nigel R.
集体行为的自组织系统已经在一些群体生活的有机体中得到证明。然而，较少的研究涉及如何在个人评估的变化可能会促进群体决策。在这里，我们调查使用分散系统的集体巢选择行为的蚂蚁Temnothorax albipennis，结合实验结果与计算建模。在实验中，孤立的工人，这个物种被允许调查新的巢址不同的质量，它被发现，对于任何给定的巢质量，有很大的差异，在个人之间的持续时间，他们花在每个巢址。此外，个别工人在花费更多的时间在较高质量的巢址，和较低质量的时间一致。因此，在一个新的巢址花费的时间必须包括对巢质量的评估。由于巢址访问持续时间（以下称为评估持续时间）与招募有关，我们观察到的变异性可能会影响殖民地的集体决策过程。因此，我们进一步探索这一点，使用巢址选择的计算模型，并发现异质巢评估赋予了一些潜在的好处。此外，我们的实验表明，巢质量评估是灵活的，受经验的先验选项。我们的研究结果有助于阐明群体行为的潜在机制，并强调个体之间的异质性，而不是精确的校准，在塑造集体决策的重要性。
Self-organized systems of collective behaviour have been demonstrated in a number of group-living organisms. There is, however, less research relating to how variation in individual assessments may facilitate group decision-making. Here, we investigate this using the decentralized system of collective nest choice behaviour employed by the ant Temnothorax albipennis, combining experimental results with computational modelling. In experiments, isolated workers of this species were allowed to investigate new nest sites of differing quality, and it was found that for any given nest quality, there was wide variation among individuals in the durations that they spent within each nest site. Additionally, individual workers were consistent in spending more time in nest sites of higher quality, and less time in those of lower quality. Hence, the time spent in a new nest site must have included an assessment of nest quality. As nest site visit durations (henceforth termed assessment durations) are linked to recruitment, it is possible that the variability we observed may influence the collective decision-making process of colonies. Thus, we explored this further using a computational model of nest site selection, and found that heterogeneous nest assessments conferred a number of potential benefits. Furthermore, our experiments showed that nest quality assessments were flexible, being influenced by experience of prior options. Our findings help to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying group behaviour, and highlight the importance of heterogeneity among individuals, rather than precise calibration, in shaping collective decision-making.