Recursive movement patterns: review and synthesis across species

Abstract

Abstract. Recursive movement-returns to previously visited areas-is a widespread phenomenon exhibited by a large range of species from bees and birds to primates and large felines, at different spatial scales. Nevertheless, the wide scope and generality of this phenomenon remain underestimated by the scientific community. This limited appreciation for the pervasiveness of recursive movement can be attributed to its study by parallel lines of research, with different methodologies and nomenclature, and almost no cross referencing among them. Among these lines of studies are traplining behavior in foraging ecology, path recursions in movement ecology and the ecology of fear in predator-prey studies. We synthesize these three lines of research, to underline the mechanisms driving these patterns and create a conceptual model for recursive movement behavior across species and spatio-temporal scales. The emergence and complexity of recursive movement patterns are determined by the rate of resource recovery, environmental heterogeneity, the predictability of resource recovery, and the animal's cognitive capabilities. Our synthesis can be used to generate predictions within and among systems, as well as to promote the sharing of knowledge and methodologies gained in each sub-field. Such sharing can greatly advance our understanding of behavioral and ecological processes and provide novel opportunities for future research.

Revisitation analysis uncovers spatio‐temporal patterns in animal movement data

“…Despite the widespread nature of recursions across taxa, spatial scale, and life-history stage, within the realm of movement ecology, recursions have still received relatively little attention, and separate lines of investigation exist in different areas of research, such as traplining, foraging behavior, and predator-prey interactions (Berger-Tal and Bar-David 2015). This may be because easy-to-use, common methods for ecologists to study recursions are rare.…”

Posterior Cingulate Neurons Dynamically Signal Decisions to Disengage during Foraging

“…In the traveling salesman task, a circular array of targets was baited unpredictably with large and small rewards. Monkeys developed routine circular patterns of target exploitation, known as a trapline in behavioral ecology (Berger-Tal and Bar-David 2015; cf. Freeman 1968 after Darwin).…”

Mandrills use olfaction to socially avoid parasitized conspecifics

“…However, in animal societies, social avoidance of parasitism has been studied almost exclusively in the contexts of sexual selection ( 14 ) and kin selection in eusocial species, with reports of self-exclusion of sick animals from the social group ( 15 ). We propose that avoidance of parasitized individuals may occur in a much broader social context.…”