Inferring animal social networks and leadership: applications for passive monitoring arrays

Research at Palmyra Atoll reveals long-term social structures and leadership among grey reef sharks, with some individuals consistently guiding group movements. Using machine learning algorithms adapted for passive acoustic telemetry data, scientists analyzed six months of tracking data to infer social networks, finding that sex and duration of co-occurrences predict leadership behavior. This study provides the first evidence of spatially extensive social processes in wild sharks, offering insights into their complex social dynamics. The team also developed an improved method for analyzing directionality and duration of social events, aiming to enhance the application of these techniques across less tractable animal systems.

Jacoby, D. M. P., Papastamatiou, Y. P., & Freeman, R. (2016). Inferring animal social networks and leadership: applications for passive monitoring arrays. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 13(124), 20160676. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2016.0676