Compromise or choose: shared movement decisions in wild vulturine guineafowl

• Published in: Communications biology 2024-01, Vol.7 (1), p.95-95, Article 95
• Main Authors: Papageorgiou, Danai, Nyaguthii, Brendah, Farine, Damien R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/158/856; 631/601/18; Acryllium vulturinum; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Decision making; Female; Humans; Life Sciences; Male; Motion; Movement; Movement ecology
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05782-w

Shared-decision making is beneficial for the maintenance of group-living. However, little is known about whether consensus decision-making follows similar processes across different species. Addressing this question requires robust quantification of how individuals move relative to each other. Here we use high-resolution GPS-tracking of two vulturine guineafowl ( Acryllium vulturinum ) groups to test the predictions from a classic theoretical model of collective motion. We show that, in both groups, all individuals can successfully initiate directional movements, although males are more likely to be followed than females. When multiple group members initiate simultaneously, follower decisions depend on directional agreement, with followers compromising directions if the difference between them is small or choosing the majority direction if the difference is large. By aligning with model predictions and replicating the findings of a previous field study on olive baboons ( Papio anubis ), our results suggest that a common process governs collective decision-making in moving animal groups. A GPS study on wild vulturine guineafowl reveals shared decision-making similar to that in baboons and theoretical models. In directional conflicts, followers compromise for small differences and choose the majority’s direction for large differences.