title: Signatures of chaos in animal search patterns.
abstract: One key objective of the emerging discipline of movement ecology is to link animal movement patterns to underlying biological processes, including those operating at the neurobiological level. Nonetheless, little is known about the physiological basis of animal movement patterns, and the underlying search behaviour. Here we demonstrate the hallmarks of chaotic dynamics in the movement patterns of mud snails (Hydrobia ulvae) moving in controlled experimental conditions, observed in the temporal dynamics of turning behaviour. Chaotic temporal dynamics are known to occur in pacemaker neurons in molluscs, but there have been no studies reporting on whether chaotic properties are manifest in the movement patterns of molluscs. Our results suggest that complex search patterns, like the Lévy walks made by mud snails, can have their mechanistic origins in chaotic neuronal processes. This possibility calls for new research on the coupling between neurobiology and motor properties.
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Andy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Theoretical and Computational Ecology Lab (CEAB-CSIC). Blanes 17300, Spain.|CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.|Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartumeus
authors.affiliation: Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.|Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kölzsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 140, 4400 CA Yerseke, the Netherlands.|Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van de Koppel
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012908:Snails / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors