TY - JOUR
T1 - Collective intelligence facilitates emergent resource partitioning through frequency-dependent learning
AU - Ogino, Mina
AU - Farine, Damien R.
PY - 2024/9/9
Y1 - 2024/9/9
N2 - Deciding where to forage must not only account for variations in habitat quality but also where others might forage. Recent studies have suggested that when individuals remember recent foraging outcomes, negative frequency-dependent learning can allow them to avoid resources exploited by others (indirect competition). This process can drive the emergence of consistent differences in resource use (resource partitioning) at the population level. However, indirect cues of competition can be difficult for individuals to sense. Here, we propose that information pooling through collective decision-making-i.e. collective intelligence-can allow populations of group-living animals to more effectively partition resources relative to populations of solitary animals. We test this hypothesis by simulating (i) individuals preferring to forage where they were recently successful and (ii) cohesive groups that choose one resource using a majority rule. While solitary animals can partially avoid indirect competition through negative frequency-dependent learning, resource partitioning is more likely to emerge in populations of group-living animals. Populations of larger groups also better partition resources than populations of smaller groups, especially in environments with more choices. Our results give insight into the value of long- versus short-term memory, home range sizes and the evolution of specialization, optimal group sizes and territoriality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
AB - Deciding where to forage must not only account for variations in habitat quality but also where others might forage. Recent studies have suggested that when individuals remember recent foraging outcomes, negative frequency-dependent learning can allow them to avoid resources exploited by others (indirect competition). This process can drive the emergence of consistent differences in resource use (resource partitioning) at the population level. However, indirect cues of competition can be difficult for individuals to sense. Here, we propose that information pooling through collective decision-making-i.e. collective intelligence-can allow populations of group-living animals to more effectively partition resources relative to populations of solitary animals. We test this hypothesis by simulating (i) individuals preferring to forage where they were recently successful and (ii) cohesive groups that choose one resource using a majority rule. While solitary animals can partially avoid indirect competition through negative frequency-dependent learning, resource partitioning is more likely to emerge in populations of group-living animals. Populations of larger groups also better partition resources than populations of smaller groups, especially in environments with more choices. Our results give insight into the value of long- versus short-term memory, home range sizes and the evolution of specialization, optimal group sizes and territoriality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
KW - collective decision-making
KW - collective sensing
KW - negative frequency-dependent learning
KW - niche partitioning
KW - resource specialization
KW - spatial structure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85199338821&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2023.0177
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2023.0177
M3 - Article
C2 - 39034703
AN - SCOPUS:85199338821
SN - 0962-8436
VL - 379
SP - 20230177
JO - Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
JF - Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
IS - 1909
ER -