Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies
How individuals in a group lead to collective behavior is a fundamental question across biological systems, from cellular systems, to animal groups, to human organizations. Recent technological advancements have enabled an unprecedented increase in our ability to collect, quantify, and analyze how i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.581222/full |
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| author | Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Medhavi Vishwakarma Medhavi Vishwakarma Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith |
| author_facet | Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Medhavi Vishwakarma Medhavi Vishwakarma Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith |
| author_sort | Jacob D. Davidson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | How individuals in a group lead to collective behavior is a fundamental question across biological systems, from cellular systems, to animal groups, to human organizations. Recent technological advancements have enabled an unprecedented increase in our ability to collect, quantify, and analyze how individual responses lead to group behavior. However, despite a wealth of data demonstrating that collective behavior exists across biological scales, it is difficult to make general statements that apply in different systems. In this perspective, we present a cohesive framework for comparing groups across different levels of biological organization, using an intermediate link of “collective mechanisms” that connects individual responses to group behavior. Using this approach we demonstrate that an effective way of comparing different groups is with an analysis hierarchy that asks complementary questions, including how individuals in a group implement various collective mechanisms, and how these various mechanisms are used to achieve group function. We apply this framework to compare two collective systems—cellular systems and honey bee colonies. Using a case study of a response to a disturbance, we compare and contrast collective mechanisms used in each system. We then discuss how inherent differences in group structure and physical constraints lead to different combinations of collective mechanisms to solve a particular problem. Together, we demonstrate how a hierarchical approach can be used to compare and contrast different systems, lead to new hypotheses in each system, and form a basis for common research questions in collective behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:49:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fee7049bd6174839ac3f8429b160fb4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:49:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-fee7049bd6174839ac3f8429b160fb4f2022-12-21T23:05:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2021-02-01910.3389/fevo.2021.581222581222Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee ColoniesJacob D. Davidson0Jacob D. Davidson1Jacob D. Davidson2Medhavi Vishwakarma3Medhavi Vishwakarma4Michael L. Smith5Michael L. Smith6Michael L. Smith7Michael L. Smith8Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, GermanyCentre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanySchool of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United KingdomDepartment of Cellular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, GermanyDepartment of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, GermanyCentre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United StatesHow individuals in a group lead to collective behavior is a fundamental question across biological systems, from cellular systems, to animal groups, to human organizations. Recent technological advancements have enabled an unprecedented increase in our ability to collect, quantify, and analyze how individual responses lead to group behavior. However, despite a wealth of data demonstrating that collective behavior exists across biological scales, it is difficult to make general statements that apply in different systems. In this perspective, we present a cohesive framework for comparing groups across different levels of biological organization, using an intermediate link of “collective mechanisms” that connects individual responses to group behavior. Using this approach we demonstrate that an effective way of comparing different groups is with an analysis hierarchy that asks complementary questions, including how individuals in a group implement various collective mechanisms, and how these various mechanisms are used to achieve group function. We apply this framework to compare two collective systems—cellular systems and honey bee colonies. Using a case study of a response to a disturbance, we compare and contrast collective mechanisms used in each system. We then discuss how inherent differences in group structure and physical constraints lead to different combinations of collective mechanisms to solve a particular problem. Together, we demonstrate how a hierarchical approach can be used to compare and contrast different systems, lead to new hypotheses in each system, and form a basis for common research questions in collective behavior.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.581222/fullmulti-scalesystems theoryhoney beescellular systemsgroup behaviormechanisms |
| spellingShingle | Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Jacob D. Davidson Medhavi Vishwakarma Medhavi Vishwakarma Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Michael L. Smith Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution multi-scale systems theory honey bees cellular systems group behavior mechanisms |
| title | Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies |
| title_full | Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies |
| title_fullStr | Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies |
| title_short | Hierarchical Approach for Comparing Collective Behavior Across Scales: Cellular Systems to Honey Bee Colonies |
| title_sort | hierarchical approach for comparing collective behavior across scales cellular systems to honey bee colonies |
| topic | multi-scale systems theory honey bees cellular systems group behavior mechanisms |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.581222/full |
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