Social Networks and Animal Collective Motion.

Thursday 16 February 2012, 1.15PM

Speaker: Dan Franks, University of York/YCCSA

Abstract: Two weeks ago, Jamie Wood described the mechanisms behind animal collective motion. In the models and theories discussed, animals were assumed to be interacting in an egalitarian manner: with no preferences or biases for certain individuals. However, studies of sociality in a wide range of species have demonstrated that social interactions are structured, with biased preferences between certain individuals.  The theory of collective motion and the study of animal social networks have, each individually, received much attention. However, they have not previously been brought together in a combined framework. I will discuss a) how social networks can impact animal collective motion and b) how we can derive and analyse social structure from observing animal collective motion.  Along the way I will discuss killer whale social networks and continue my usual complaining about incorrect statistical analysis of autocorrelated and sampled data (such as network data).

Location: Biology Lecture Theatre (K018)