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SOE: Fachverband Physik sozio-ökonomischer Systeme
SOE 17: Social Systems, Opinion and Group Dynamics
SOE 17.3: Vortrag
Donnerstag, 19. März 2015, 10:00–10:15, MA 001
Cluster formation in king penguin chicks — •Richard Gerum1, Ben Fabry1, Claus Metzner1, Céline Le Bohec2,3, Francesco Bonadonna4, Anna Nesterova4, and Daniel Zitterbart1,5 — 1University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany — 2CNRS/UdS, Strasbourg, France — 3CSM LIA-647 BioSensib, Monaco — 4CEFE-CNRS, Montpellier, France — 5AWI, Bremerhaven, Germany
Several penguin species display complex and not well understood group dynamics such as cluster formation. We hypothesize that cluster formation can be driven by predators (short-term) or environmental factors (long-term). A preliminary analysis of video recordings of king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) colonies on the sub-Antarctic Possession and Kerguelen Islands, obtained during 2011-2014, reveals that chicks can dynamically form irregular-shaped clusters of several hundreds or thousands of individuals. In this study, we focus on short-term arrangements induced by predation events. Isolated or loosely grouped king penguin chicks are an easy target for giant petrels (Macronectes spp.). When chicks are attacked by petrels, they flee away and try to maintain a safety distance from the predator. Using a computer simulation of the attack and flight behavior, we demonstrate that randomly attacking predators can lead to the formation of chick clusters that closely resemble those observed in our video recordings. The shape and size of the clusters strongly depend on the safety radius around the predator that triggers a flight response. Our results suggest that the escape behavior of king penguin chicks in response to predator attacks can lead to the emergence of large and dense clusters for protection.