Social transmission in networks: global efficiency peaks with intermediate levels of modularity
Social transmission in networks: global efficiency peaks with intermediate levels of modularity
复制标题
网络中的社交传播：中等水平的模块化使全球效率达到顶峰
DOI：
10.1007/s00265-018-2564-9
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发表时间：
2018
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Sueur
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Romano V;Shen M;Pansanel J;MacIntosh AJJ;Sueur
在无数的生物系统中，多条证据表明，模块性，其中网络的部分被组织成模块，如动物网络中的子组，可能会影响社会传播过程。在动物社会中，人们越来越有兴趣了解模块化对传输的影响的变化，因为它可以提供对给定网络性能的重要见解，除了网络结构可能对个体适应度产生的进化后果之外。然而，据我们所知，网络效率依赖于模块化的程度还没有在行为和进化生态学中得到详细的研究。在这里，我们研究了网络效率，作为社会传播的代理，在多大程度上是模块化依赖。我们创建了2798个不同规模和密度的网络，并测试了网络结构（密度，纽曼的模块化，特征向量中心化）和群体规模是否影响网络效率。我们还使用了来自41个灵长类社交网络的已发表数据来测试我们的模拟中产生的预测是否得到了经验观察的支持。我们的研究结果表明，模块化和全球效率之间的非线性关系，与后者峰值在中间值的模块化在理论和经验网络。这种现象可能与观察到的社会结构变化及其与网络性能的联系有关。因此，我们的研究结果可以提供一个基础，从其中讨论复杂系统的进化，如动物society.Significance statementNetworks可以最大限度地提高性能，最大限度地减少传输成本，如神经网络，但在何种程度上网络效率是模块化依赖尚未在行为生态学研究。我们提供的证据表明，模块化，如动物网络中的分组，可以对传输过程产生非线性影响，模块化的低值往往会对社会传输产生积极影响，高值往往会对传输产生负面影响。这种模式在理论网络中的小型、中型和大型社会群体中是一致的，并且被我们的经验网络所证实，这些网络来自15种灵长类动物的41个小型到中型群体。这些结果对理解社会灵活性及其与网络性能的联系具有潜在的影响，此外还为许多跨学科领域提供了信息，如通信和计算机科学。
AbstractIn myriad biological systems, multiple lines of evidence indicate that modularity, wherein parts of a network are organized into modules such as subgroups in animal networks, may affect social transmission processes. In animal societies, there is increased interest in understanding variation in the effects of modularity on transmission as it may provide important insight into a given network’s performance, in addition to the evolutionary consequences the structure of the network may have for individual fitness. Yet, to our knowledge, the degree to which network efficiency is modularity dependent has not yet been investigated in great detail in behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Here, we investigated to what degree network efficiency, as a proxy for social transmission, is modularity dependent. We created 2798 networks varying in group size and density, and tested whether network structure (density, Newman’s modularity, eigenvector centralization) and group size shape network efficiency. We also used published data from 41 primate social networks to test whether the predictions generated in our simulations were supported by empirical observations. Our results show a non-linear relationship between modularity and global efficiency, with the latter peaking at intermediate values of modularity in both theoretical and empirical networks. This phenomenon may have relevance for observed variation in social structure and its link with network performance. Our results may thus provide a basis from which to discuss the evolution of complex systems such as animal societies.Significance statementNetworks may maximize performance and minimize transmission costs, as demonstrated in neural networks, but to what degree network efficiency is modularity dependent has not yet been investigated in behavioral ecology. We provide evidence that modularity, such as subgrouping in animal networks, can have non-linear effects on transmission processes, with low values of modularity tending to positively influence social transmission and high values tending to negatively influence transmission. This pattern was consistent across small, medium, and large social groups from theoretical networks, and was corroborated by our empirical networks which were derived from 41 small- to medium-sized groups of 15 primate species. These results have potential implications for the understanding of social flexibility and its link with network performance, in addition informing many interdisciplinary fields, such as communication and computer science.