Use of keyed character string data structures and operators in models of primate groups

Area of Science:

• Primate Behavioral Ecology
• Computational Biology
• Population Dynamics

Background:

• Primate populations display intricate and evolving social organizations.
• Accurate modeling of these dynamic structures is crucial for ecological and evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile computer modeling system for representing complex primate population organization.
• To facilitate the representation of both static and dynamic features of primate social structures.

Main Methods:

• Developed a general-purpose primate population computer modeling system.
• Utilized text strings, termed 'key strings,' to represent primate group structures.
• Employed insertion, deletion, and move operations on key strings to simulate changes in group dynamics.
• Applied nested key strings for concise representation of hierarchical social features.

Main Results:

• The key string data structure effectively represents diverse primate social organizations.
• The system successfully modeled structures and processes in island, rhesus monkey, and hamadryas baboon populations.
• Model construction was significantly simplified by the key string approach.

Conclusions:

• The developed modeling system offers a powerful and flexible tool for studying primate social organization.
• Key string data structures provide an efficient method for capturing the complexity and dynamism of primate social systems.