Mechanisms of reciprocity and diversity social networks: a modeling and comparative approach
Authored by Oliver Schuelke, Julia Ostner, Cedric Sueur, Ivan Puga-Gonzalez, Bernard Thierry, Sebastian Sosa
Date Published: 2018
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary034
Sponsors:
National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT)
National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Three mechanisms have been proposed to underlie reciprocation of social
behaviors in gregarious animals: ``calculated reciprocity,{''}
``emotional bookkeeping,{''} and ``symmetry-based reciprocity.{''} Among
these explanations, emotional book-keeping has received the broadest
support from experimental and observational studies. On the other hand,
3 individual-based models have shown that reciprocation may emerge via
``symmetry-based reciprocity,{''} ``emotional bookkeeping,{''} or a
combination of both mechanisms. Here, we use these 3 models to assess
their relative fit with empirical data on reciprocation and social
network structure across different groups and species of macaques. We
collected grooming data from 14 groups and 8 macaque species and
simulated each group in each model. We analyzed and quantitatively
compared social network metrics of the empirical and the models'
grooming networks. The 3 models captured fairly well the features of
observed networks, and fitted data from wild groups better than captive
ones. The emotional bookkeeping model seemed on average to fit slightly
better the social networks metrics observed in empirical data, but
failed to reproduce some grooming patterns. The symmetry-based models,
on the other hand, fitted better other network parameters (e.g.,
modularity). No model generally fitted the data better than the others,
and the fit with some metrics (e.g., modularity, centralization index)
was low even after optimization. Thus, our analyses indicate that in the
models social interactions may be simpler than in reality and models may
miss social processes (e.g., third-party awareness).
Tags
Individual-based model
Social Network
Spatial structure
Partner choice
grooming
Capuchin monkeys
Macaca-mulatta
Grooming reciprocation
Macaques
Group-living
Reciprocation
Wild assamese macaques
Barbary
macaques
Interaction patterns
Triadic awareness
Female primates