The Ecology of Collective Behavior

The Ecology of Collective Behavior provides a new perspective on collective behavior across biological systems, arguing that it operates without central control and evolves to reflect the stability and demands of the environment. It compares ant species to identify broad trends in how the diversity of collective behavior reflects the dynamics of the environment and offers insights into how collective responses function in changing conditions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Collective behavior is a pervasive phenomenon observed across diverse biological systems, ranging from gene transcription and cancer cells to ant colonies and human societies. It operates without central control, relying on local interactions among participants to enable groups to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The Ecology of Collective Behavior, a groundbreaking work, combines insights from evolutionary biology, network science, and dynamical systems to present an ecological perspective on understanding how the interactions of individuals lead to collective outcomes.

Deborah Gordon, the author, argues that understanding how collective behavior functions in any natural system requires considering its dynamic response to the changing world around it. She demonstrates how feedback utilization, the mechanism through which networks of interactions operate, and the organization of interaction networks evolve to reflect the stability and demands of the environment. Ant colonies, for instance, exhibit collective behavior, and the diverse species found in different habitats offer opportunities to identify general ecological patterns. Through a detailed comparison of ant species, Gordon identifies broad trends in how the diversity of collective behavior in various collective systems reflects the dynamics of the environment.

The Ecology of Collective Behavior sheds light on how individual actions give rise to group behavior, providing new insights into how collective responses function in changing conditions. By exploring the evolution of collective behavior through innovation in participant interactions, the book offers valuable perspectives on the complex dynamics governing collective behavior in nature.

Weight: 450g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691232140