GROUP DECISIONS: FROM COMPROMISE TO LEADERSHIP IN PIGEON HOMING
Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow, Dec. 5, 2006
By studying how homing pigeons decide between two attractive options--following a habitual route home and flying in the company of another homing pigeon--researchers have deepened our understanding of the forces that underlie decision-making by social animals. The findings are reported by a research group led by Dora Biro of the University of Oxford and appear in Current Biology. Social animals have to make decisions that affect not just themselves, but everyone in the group. For example, when embarking on a journey together, individuals must agree on the route--a difficult task if group members cannot assess who are the best navigators or who is best informed about possible routes. Is a "democratic" average of everyone's opinion best? Or is it better to trust a leader? And what circumstances influence how animals decide which of these strategies to follow?
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