Signatures of chaos in animal search patterns
Reynolds, Andy M. (Rothamsted Research, Harpenden)
Koppel, J. van de (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life)
Bartumeus, Frederic (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Kölzsch, Andrea (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology)

Date:	2016
Abstract:	One key objective of the emerging discipline of movement ecology is to link animal movement patterns to underlying biological processes, including those operating at the neurobiological level. Nonetheless, little is known about the physiological basis of animal movement patterns, and the underlying search behaviour. Here we demonstrate the hallmarks of chaotic dynamics in the movement patterns of mud snails (Hydrobia ulvae) moving in controlled experimental conditions, observed in the temporal dynamics of turning behaviour. Chaotic temporal dynamics are known to occur in pacemaker neurons in molluscs, but there have been no studies reporting on whether chaotic properties are manifest in the movement patterns of molluscs. Our results suggest that complex search patterns, like the Lévy walksa made by mud snails, can have their mechanistic origins in chaotic neuronal processes. This possibility calls for new research on the coupling between neurobiology and motor properties.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Behavioural ecology ; Evolutionary theory
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 6 (2016) , art. 23492, ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/srep23492
PMID: 27019951

7 p, 657.5 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles