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Information and its use by animals in evolutionary ecology.
Sasha R X Dall1, Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Ola Olsson
1Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter in Cornwall, Tremough Campus, Penryn, UK, TR10 9EZ. sashadall@iname.com
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|May 17, 2006
Summary
Animals use information to adapt to changing environments. Understanding how animals gather and use information, from passive and responsive sources, is key to studying adaptive behavior and evolutionary ecology.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Information is vital for animal behavior and evolution.
- Adaptive behavior depends on accurate estimation of ecological factors.
- Ecological uncertainty impacts adaptation, and information gathering can reduce this uncertainty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of ecological uncertainty on animal adaptation.
- To review methods animals use to gather information (passive and responsive).
- To propose a quantitative framework for analyzing animal information use.
Main Methods:
- Overview of existing research on animal information use.
- Application of statistical decision theory.
- Development of a quantitative framework for analysis.
Main Results:
- Information gathering, from both passive and responsive sources, is crucial for reducing ecological uncertainty.
- An explicit informational approach is valuable for studying animal adaptation.
- A quantitative framework based on statistical decision theory can analyze animal information use.
Conclusions:
- An integrative approach to studying animal information use is essential.
- Understanding information use is integral to adaptive animal behavior and organismal biology.
- The proposed framework aids in analyzing how animals use information in evolutionary ecology.