Mechanistic models must link the field and the lab

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Foraging Theory

Background:

• Continuous foraging models assume fixed food amounts and uncertainty.
• Variable delays in foraging are often overlooked in theoretical models.
• Existing theories like risk-sensitive foraging theory have different underlying assumptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a theoretical framework for continuous animal foraging.
• To incorporate variable delays into foraging decisions.
• To highlight the discrepancies between this model and existing theories/experiments.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of sequential decision-making in foraging.
• Analysis of foraging behavior under conditions of fixed food availability and uncertainty.
• Examination of the impact of variable delays on foraging strategies.

Main Results:

• A theoretical model where animals make sequential foraging decisions with fixed food and uncertainty, but variable delays.
• Identification of a theoretical gap between this model and common laboratory experimental setups.
• Highlighting the need for models that accommodate variable delays in foraging research.

Conclusions:

• The proposed foraging theory offers a novel perspective by incorporating variable delays.
• The model's assumptions present challenges for direct comparison with many existing laboratory experiments.
• Further research is needed to reconcile theoretical foraging models with empirical findings.