CAREER: Creating a Unified Framework for the Quantitative Study of Animal Aggregations

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Animal social behavior occurs in many species, often with spectacular visual results. In the past, studies have either focused on (1) why animals join groups, or (2) the "traffic rules" animals use to position themselves within groups. However, there is currently no theory to describe how one would go about connecting these two ideas. This project will create a single theoretical system that explicitly integrates the two concepts by combining existing models of animal social behavior and will generate a new computer toolkit to allow the development of the new model. The primary results of this project will be a new, unifying theory of animal social behavior and a new user-friendly toolkit to conduct behavioral analysis. By developing new theory and providing new tools to study social behavior, this project will integrate research and education and transform the way students learn about science. To make the new toolkit available to the widest possible audience, all computer programs and data will be stored in the WSSU library digital archive at http://www.wssu.edu/cg-okelly-library/archives/digitalcollection.aspx.This project will have broader impact on the scientific community by providing a new framework for future investigators, and by providing them with a user-friendly computer toolkit. This project will have broader impact in education because it will popularize the science of behavioral ecology, and broaden participation in science by under-represented groups. A new seminar course and independent student projects will help increase the popularity of behavioral ecology on campus. Students will also maintain a project web site and develop "smartphone" applications based on the research toolkit. These student-led projects will serve as portals to incite interest in behavioral ecology by the general population, allowing the project's content to reach thousands.