Emergent group level navigation: an agent-based evaluation of movement patterns in a folivorous primate

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Computational Biology
• Primate Behavior

Background:

• Organismal foraging reveals strategic movement patterns for resource utilization.
• Mechanisms of spatial memory in movement patterns are debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test hypotheses of spatial memory use in primates using agent-based modeling.
• To compare simulated primate movement patterns with observed red colobus monkey (Procolobus rufomitratus) foraging data.

Main Methods:

• Developed simulated primate agents with varying memory types (Euclidean, landmark-based) and social rules (independent, leader-led).
• Compared simulated group movement patterns to observed red colobus monkey data.
• Analyzed effects of memory type, retention, and social rules on movement metrics.

Main Results:

• Red colobus monkey movement patterns best matched simulations with landmark-based memory and leader-led foraging.
• Social rules most impacted group step length.
• Memory type most impacted path tortuosity and group cohesion.

Conclusions:

• Agent-based modeling provides insights into behavioral mechanisms driving animal movement.
• Landmark-based memory and social learning are key factors in red colobus foraging movements.
• Simulation studies can test theories of spatial memory and its influence on movement patterns.