Objective
"How animals make decisions in groups and coordinate their movements when travelling together has recently emerged as a hotly debated topic in behavioural science. Yet in spite of a strong theoretical framework, empirical studies of group decision-making remain limited. Here, we suggest a new model system, focusing specifically on collective decision-making during group navigation – king penguins. These birds make excellent subjects since they have both a clear tendency to group and a strong motivation to return to a specific location within the colony. We propose a series of field experiments on king penguin chicks to investigate mechanisms of group navigation and to test three central hypotheses: 1) navigational efficiency increases with group size; 2) the presence of experienced individuals affects navigational efficiency of the group; and 3) the size of navigational conflict affects the outcome of decision-making during group navigation. During the experiments, king penguin chicks will be displaced from their crèches and released in groups of different sizes and compositions. Subjects’ movements will be monitored at high spatial and temporal resolution by miniature GPS logging devices attached non-invasively to individual birds. Experimental data will be supplemented by field observations of natural crèche movements. We will use quantitative techniques developed by my host and her collaborators for an extensive and fine-grained comparative analysis of paths, and for exploring the dynamics of decisions made by individuals navigating both solo and in groups. Models of group navigation by king penguins will be developed and their outcome will be compared to the empirical data. In addition, during this project in collaboration with the Engineering Science department at Oxford, we will develop remotely detachable GPS loggers. Our results will provide important validation of the theories and new methodology for the studies of group navigation."
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.